Pretender
by Rhistel Gold
Summary: Olivia Trevelyan is the most unlucky human in all of Thedas. Ripped from her home for having magical abilities as a child, she thrives in the Ostwick Circle, only to be the lone survivor of the Conclave ten years later - and branded a criminal and heretic to boot! But her luck isn't all bad - she's caught the eye of her military advisor! [Rated M/NSFW for later chapters.]
1. Morning Fury

_A/N: SO! I've been playing through DA:I for the last few weeks, and I think the game is incredible! However, I feel like the Inquisitor can be a bit of a mary-sue type character, even despite picking aggressive options, so I wanted to write about an Inquisitor who went through the normal emotional range of a human being, without the fluffy editing of it and all. I also wanted Cullen to be a bit less stoic and more like a Templar, even though he's all but abandoned the Order to join the Inquisition. Cullen is one of my favourite DA characters, despite the seriously underwhelming parts he played in both Origins and Dragon Age II._

_That said, here we go! I hope you guys enjoy this story! If you haven't already, please go and check out my other fic, "Evening Star" - a story about a snarky Cousland warrior who didn't want to follow her family duties and fell for a man she felt she didn't deserve._

_[as of right now, this fanfic is UNBETA'D. All mistakes and imperfections are my own doing. If you are interested in beta-ing for this fic, please shoot me a message! Xx]_

"Shit!" The word rang through the cold stone halls early one winter morning, and though it was not an unusual sound to hear around the keep, the desperate sound of clattering followed by a rather obnoxiously loud explosive noise had her advisors scrambling out of the temporary place they were holding meetings. They sprinted up the stone staircase directly to the left of the room, leading up to a stone bridge that connected a rather picturesque tower to the rest of the keep. At the front of the group was a rather athletic man with curly, tousled blonde hair wearing white-steel plate beneath a roughspun fur-lined overcoat. Directly behind him was a lithe young woman with ginger hair, followed by a pixie-haired warrior clad in black plate emblazoned with an eye in the middle of a bursting sun. In the rear was a noblewoman clad in a rather exquisite dress of multicoloured silks and ruffles.

It took mere moments for the mismatched group to reach the room that was the source of the offending noise, and from within came the sounds of many rather distasteful and colourful words unfit for anyone, let alone the woman they were being spoken by, to hear or say. Turning a head to his comrades and raising an eyebrow, to which the ginger haired female only laughed softly, he gently pushed the door open, the foursome quickly ducking as a frostfire bolt went whizzing over their heads, dissipating harmlessly against the stone wall just behind them.

The sight that lay before them was one of utter chaos – furniture lay overturned, some of it smashed beyond repair. Tapestries and maps were strewn over every inch of the stone floor, as were countless books, some who were no longer married to their linen covers. The bed that graced the centre of the room was a dishevelled mess, the silk linens every which way possible and one of the four posters collapsed. There were irritated, sporadic pockmarks all over the walls, several paintings now bearing the evidence of a magical tantrum. Other evidence, including a now smouldering set of robes, was heaped on the floor near the window, which was flung wide open.

"By the love of the sodding Maker, I'M FINE." was the sharp statement delivered in their direction by the woman who occupied the tower, venom lacing every word, especially the last two. The blonde haired warrior cocked an eyebrow as he looked around, the noblewoman sighing exasperatedly at the sight of the almost completely destroyed room. "Your ladyship, with all due courtesy, you cannot-"

"Shut the hell up, Josie." The noblewoman snapped her mouth shut instantly at the callous statement, and bowed curtly before pushing past the group again to exit the room, mumbling softly, "You lot can deal with this. I've seen enough to last all week." The sounds of her heels against the stone quickly disappeared back across the bridge and down the stairs.

"Now that was uncalled for." came the voice of the pixie-haired warrior, whose voice was gruff and unforgiving. "Josephine has done nothing to deserve your razor sharp tongue, yet you continuously lash out at her like a venomous snake. This behaviour is unacceptable, especially for you." The ginger-haired woman sighed softly, all traces of her previous mirth gone as she gently lay a hand on the warrior's arm before uttering, "Cassandra, let's go. We can talk about this when everyone has cooled down."

Cassandra wrenched her arm from her comrade's grasp, glancing at the blonde male. "Get this under control, Commander. This is getting to be ridiculous." He could only nod as the warrioress mumbled, "Let's go, Leliana." She turned sharply after throwing another rueful glance at their adversary, walking back the same way Josephine had disappeared to, the red-haired rogue following swiftly after.


	2. Impressions

The heavy oak door swung shut behind Cassandra and Leliana, and when it clicked home, the woman within the room rounded on the only remaining advisor she had, knowing that Josephine, Cass, and Leliana had left him to deal with her for a reason. When she went to lash out at him, however, she found that she couldn't get words to escape her throat, as a pressure sat upon her larynx rather heavily. Frowning, she tried to speak again, and found that the pressure was controlled – equal in all parts. It made her words stick in her throat – so much so that she almost made herself choke trying to say something. Scowling, she threw a withering look at the man who remained stoic as he watched her with worried eyes.

"Yes, I silenced you for the time being." came the calm and collected response to the unspoken question. "I need to know that you can control yourself enough to be trusted without a silencing aura." Rolling her eyes, the woman clasped her hands behind her back, relaxing her stance for the moment. Narrowing his eyes, the warrior released the spell, letting her magic rush back to her like a rubber band that had been stretched to its full elasticity.

"Maker, Cullen, you didn't really need to do that, did you?" The woman gasped once she had managed to find her voice. She unconsciously rubbed her throat, sighing softly as she looked around the room, surveying the destruction she'd wrought. The sight sobered her almost instantly, and she frowned, the expression marring her face. "Er...alright, maybe you did."

A hand travelled through raven-coloured hair, the flawless style rustled by the pale hand and bright blue nails that rushed through the strands. "Bloody Templars." She hissed softly and slightly maliciously, her magic stinging her a little, an after-effect of the silence. Cullen only turned the left corner of his mouth up faintly at her. He knew she was hurting after the powerful silencing aura he'd used against her, and under normal circumstances he'd have apologised. Right now, however, he wasn't at all apologetic.

"Might I ask what happened in order to cause all this?" He gestured to the destruction, maintaining a distance so as not to threaten her, as well as to keep himself safe should she decide to lash out with magic again. Groaning softly, the mage shook her head, clearly unhappy with the state of things. Cullen felt the pull of her magic as she gathered it, and it was all he could do not to smite her as she waved a hand. His wariness was shortlived, however.- the room began to right itself with her careful direction, and when the task was complete, he felt her magic disappear almost instantly, and his relief came with it.

"What is it about you blasted Templars being so afraid every time we even draw on our natural gifts, even if it's to speed along something completely harmless and mundane." She scowled at him, taking a seat on the edge of her bed, tossing a rueful glance in the direction of the commander once she was settled.

"I'll answer your question when you answer mine, Herald." He spoke softly, his hands clasped behind his back as he took a guard position near the door. Another sigh passed the mage's lips at the use of her title from him, rather than her given name. He was always professional with her – so much so that it was almost frightening. "I had a nightmare." The commander almost scoffed in disbelief, and would have lectured her about her magical tantrum had she not continued speaking, effectively silencing him for the time being. "A vivid one. It seemed so real...it was...it was unnerving, to say the least. Very much so."

The black-haired mage looked forlornly at her hands, pulling at one of the intricate, lacy looking rings that graced her long fingers. "I was coming back to Haven after a routine patrol, on Winter's End. I had intended to come back and deliver my reports to you in the War Room, as always, before heading up here to the tower, but something was wrong. My skin clammed up and I could see the flickering of an orange tinted light against the twilight skies." Her voice caught, and trembled as she continued. "Haven was burning. Cinder, ash, flesh. The smells were awful, the scents of fetid corpses poisoning the air. Screams, desperate cries for help, the anguished verses of the Chant, rising above the rest as people prayed for salvation, even as they were burning. Above it all, a dragon so unbelievably unholy that the sight of it made my stomach churn."

Cullen instinctively took a few steps towards the woman before him, hearing the melancholy in her words. "I tried to save them all, Cullen. And I almost did. The last one I could get to was a little girl with chestnut hair, holding a doll. The doll was old, torn, but I could tell that it was precious to her. That little girl was clutching that doll harder than anything in this world." Her voice trembled harder, and her next words were a whisper. "I reached out for her hand, but...I was too late. The dragon descended, blasting that building with a fire so hot that I could almost swear I melted right there. All I remember is a pair of terrified blue eyes that were screaming 'Why didn't you help me, Herald?!' And I could do nothing. I watched that little girl die right in front of me, completely incinerated by that Maker-forsaken creature."

Her hands were even paler, her nails biting into the flesh of her palms hard enough to draw blood as she retold the tale. "Then I woke. When I gained conciousness...I was so unbelievably angry. Angry at the dream, at myself for being such an incapable fraud..." She spat the last words, a fireball forming in her hands and quickly imploding within her clenched fists. She would have continued casting too, her trembling body a good indication of that, but Cullen knelt before her suddenly, covering her hands with his own and effectively snuffing out her magic once more.

When she raised her eyes to look at the face of her commander, he felt himself die a little. A woman who had seemed so bright with hope just the day before now had eyes that were haunted by the dead, fake or not. Cullen knew that she now understood the task that lay before her was not going to be easy, and she carried the weight of Thedas on her shoulders.

Rising slowly, bringing her with him, he maintained eye contact with her as he spoke, his voice a soothing lull as he gave her magic back to her once more, gentler this time so as not to overwhelm her. "You are the most remarkable mage I have seen in a long time, Herald. The last mage I saw who even came close to your talents was the Champion of Kirkwall. Even Solas, who has travelled far across Thedas and studied many types and cultures of magic, cannot compete with your gift."

She opened her mouth to speak, but he silenced her with a look as he continued. "You are also the most empathetic person I know. You feel everything deeply, even when you wish you wouldn't." She gaped at the commander, and he smiled faintly at her. "I'm not as blind nor stoic as I appear, you know. I know I must seem callous and cold, and I do apologise. The events of the Kirkwall rebellion are too fresh for me..." Cullen trailed off, sighing softly.

"Look, what I'm trying to say is this: there is no way you can carry the weight of the world alone. And you don't have to, Olivia." With that, he dropped his arms and stepped out of the room, opening and closing the door behind him swiftly, his footfalls disappearing as the shell-shocked mage stared at the door.

"Well then." She spoke to no one in particular, spending several moments after the commander had taken his leave in a shocked silence. For the first time in the months since she'd met him, the commander had used her name. The man she'd spent a week crying about when she'd learned he was a Templar – well, former Templar –; the same man who had grinned when she'd flirted with him outside in the midst of the training grounds. A smile broke out across her face, and she pushed a hand through her hair as she sat down on the vanilla coloured stool at the vanity in the corner of her room.

For the first time in a long time, Olivia Rose Trevelyan was at a loss for words, and found herself wanting to look presentable before she meandered downstairs to begin the tasks for the day. She pulled a wide-tooth mahogany comb through her long black hair, humming softly as she did so, wincing every so often as the comb snagged. However, instead of wrenching it through her hair as she did on any other day, she patiently worked the knots out, and a few moments later, her hair was falling down her back in long, loose waves, curling a little tighter at the bottom as it always did, even when it was tied up.

Liv also took the time to powder her face lightly and applied her make-up with precision that she never normally bothered with. Varying shades of natural browns dusted her eyelids, punctuated with a bold eyeliner that flicked upwards toward her eyebrow at the very end, and her lips were conditioned with a berry-flavoured balm. It was high time for her to make a good impression to the people of Haven, so she might as well begin now.

Once her face was finished and set, she rose quietly and walked to the armoire that held her leathers and her smallclothes. Pulling on her linen smallclothes with ease, she slid into a beautiful pair of black breeches and tugged on a white shirt with billowing sleeves. Over this, a beautiful amber coloured corset was placed, her fingers deftly tightening and tying the laces herself. When she was satisfied, she pulled on a pair of leather boots that were cut a little chunkier than standard mage boots – Liv prefered her boots to be in the same relative style as those that warriors wore.

Rising, the mage grabbed her long black samite overcoat with the same billowing sleeves as her shirt, and tugged it on over everything, leaving it unbuttoned for now. The hem of the coat brushed the floor, and trailed behind her a good inch as she walked. The buttons were burnished bronze, almost the same colour as her corset, and the hood was one that when covering her hair, was set a little wider than standard as well. Liv hated most tight-fit garments, save for her pants and that particular corset.

On her way out of the tower room, she effortlessly strapped on her weapons belt, having a collection of small knives, lockpicks, and mint-flavoured sweets hidden in several of the pockets. She also had two daggers strapped on either side of her hips, hidden beneath her cloak when she turned the belt properly, and she also grabbed her staff from it's standing position at the right of her door.

Her advisors were in deep discussion when the door to the war room opened, and they were about to snap at whoever had disturbed them when they were stunned silent. Olivia stood before them in the doorway, a smile playing across her naturally rose lips. "Good morning."

Josephine was the first to recover, stammering a greeting that was very unlike her. Liv sobered slightly, glancing at her diplomatic advisor. "I apologise, Josie. I was unnecessarily brash to you earlier, in the tower. I've cleaned up the mess I made – no harm done. It's already been repaired." The mage was relieved when she was met with a warm smile from her advisor. "It's alright, my lady. We were all a little testy this morning, I feel. No harm done, mm?"

Pleased, Liv turned to Cassandra and Leliana, the latter of whom was trying her best to disguise a wry, amused smile. "Good morning Cassandra. Any news to report on the status of the Inquisition thus far?" Startled, the pixie-haired warrior glanced down at the map on the table, struggling to come up with words.

"I-er- our influence in the Hinterlands region has vastly increased since you assisted all those innocent civilians – so much so that people in Redcliffe Village are starting to notice and request your help personally themselves. The guards are still wary about letting us in, however – we must close all the Rifts in the area before they will consider opening the gates for us." The seeker blanched a little, fearing the wrath of the usually temperamental mage should they fail to provide any proper insight. Instead, she was met with a warm "Thank you" before Liv turned her attention to Leliana.

The rogue, who had been preparing during Cassandra's speech, responded instantly. "My scouts have reported more activity in Orlais as well as other parts of Ferelden – the nobles are getting particularly restless. I suggest we try and extend our reach to them in some way. That way, they'll relay the message of our help or hinderance to their constituents, and we can expand more rapidly." The spymaster slid a sealed letter over the table towards her.

"This is a letter from Highever – the Teryn is someone respected by the people both in his own terynir and in the Landsmeet. If we aid him, he will most certainly pass the word along within the Landsmeet, and even direct his praise of the Inquisition to the King and Queen." Liv's smile broadened. "Excellent – send a contingent of our soldiers to Highever immediately – they'll be serving as an honour guard for his lordship."

Olivia glanced down at the map, noting several new locations marked with notes. Rifling through them briefly, she instructed Josephine and Leliana to get more information on several of the areas as well as find a way to procure coin for their cause before she stepped back from the table.

Excusing herself to go and see if the people of Haven needed her for anything, she turned and walked out of the war room, leaving Cassandra and Josephine speechless, while Leliana only laughed heartily as Cullen smirked.

After a moment, Cassandra spoke. "What in the hell was that about?" Cullen grinned wryly as he looked at the Herald's back. "It seems our Herald has finally understood." The seeker looked at the commander with a confused expression. "Understood what, commander?"

Cullen glanced at the Nevarran warrior with a smile. "That she is not alone."

_A/N: Thank you to everyone who has read/followed so far! I'm sorry this chapter is so long! There's so much fluff here, but I really wanted to paint a picture of what Liv is really like! She's definitely a whirlwind, that's for sure!_

_Please check out my other fanfiction,"Evening Star"_ _, as well as ElyssaCousland's "There and Back Again" - it's worth the read! Thanks again all! See you in the next chapter!_


	3. Winter Wonders

_A/N: I just want to say WOW! The amount of support this fanfic has gotten is amazing! :D i'm really pleased that everyone likes what's going on so far! I'm going to try and stick to the game's universe as much as I can, but I will be toying with it a little bit – I apologise if this bothers anyone!_

_This story remains UNBETA'D! Any mistakes made are my own doing, as is the sporadic pacing of the story arc. If you'd like to beta for this fanfiction or for "Evening Star", please send me a message so we can discuss! _

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><p>As she exited the heavy front doors of Haven's Chantry, Liv drew in a deep breath, the chill of the Frostback air making her shiver slightly, but not to a point where she would be uncomfortable. Haven was a small village, though it had grown considerably in the years since it's original addition to the map of Ferelden. It had once been home to a deranged cult of dragon worshippers, but the Hero of Ferelden had managed to dispose of the entire cult somehow.<p>

As she started making her way across towards the requistions officer, Threnn, Liv realised that Cullen had never answered her question about why Templars were so fearful of even the basic spells mages could cast, the realisation making her frown slightly.

Musing over it as she meandered around after picking up a few orders from Threnn while making conversation with the shell-shocked woman, Liv realised that it was because most mages didn't realise how unbelievably vulnerable they truly were, and that any pull of magic, even for something as simple as cleaning or carrying something too heavy to lift physically, attracted all manner of Fade creatures – malevolent or not.

Sighing at her own naivete, Liv wandered the village for a time, stopping to talk with the locals, who – despite rarely seeing her outside of times where she was heading on patrol missions or heading towards Redcliffe - still praised her for her efforts with the Inquisition, including a little girl who looked hauntingly similar to the poor girl in her nightmare.

Kneeling before the girl silently, Liv looked at the child with startling blue eyes of her own, and smiled when the child nodded at the unspoken question. As people watched the Herald, she began to twist the fingers of her left hand over the palm of her right, pulling ice magic from within her very core. Gasps went around the crowd, but as curious and terrified onlookers continued to observe, the stream of ice began to dance at Liv's command.

The little girl's eyes widened as Liv began winding the ice into the shape of a spectacularly beautiful rose, complete with leaves and a long stem. When the icy structure was complete, Liv fed a small piece of arcane magic into the petals to give them a pinkish colouring, and spirit magic that settled over the entire piece to preserve it's shape, no matter the weather.

When the Liv was finished with the work of art, in place of the icy rose was a beautiful crystalline structure. She smiled as she extended the hand holding the exquisite creation out towards the small girl, who took it with a smile as wide as her face could bear. The people around the pair cheered and clapped in excitement, a proud flush creeping into Liv's cheeks.

Cullen, who had rushed out of the Chantry at the first pull of magic stopped short as he saw what Liv had done. The grateful child flung herself at the herald, wrapping her arms around the woman in a strong embrace of both gratitude and amazement. Despite his being apprehensive about her fooling around with her magic, his nerves dissipated slightly when his eyes landed on what she'd made for the child.

Liv returned the embrace with one equally as warm, withdrawing after a moment to look the child in the eyes, speaking words that Cullen could not hear. Nodding, the little girl took Liv's hand, and the two of them began to walk towards the lake that Haven was built next to. Curious as to what they were doing, Cullen followed the pair quietly, nodding his head in acknowledgement to those who bade him good morning while keeping cautious eyes on both women in front of him, still wary of Liv's magical talents.

Hand in hand, Olivia and the young girl- whose name was Diora as she'd been informed moments after handing over her crystalline creation- stopped on the lake's edge. Grinning, Liv took a step onto the thinly iced lake, making Cullen gasp and take a cautionary step toward the two. To his amazement, the ice upon the lake began to thicken as Olivia wandered closer to the centre. Delighted, Diora ran out toward the herald, skidding into her and knocking them both over.

Peals of childish laughter filled the air, and curious villagers and children began to peek out of Haven's gates to see what the racket was about. They were met with the sight of a bewildered Templar and two young women who were seemingly skating atop the surface of the lake. Their actions drew several more children toward the lake surface with big grins cracking their faces.

Soon enough, half of Haven was out on the ice, stumbling over each other and laughing, or skating and carrying on pleasant conversation. And there, in the middle of the commotion, was a woman who had nearly brought an entire tower down that very same morning, eyes the colour of the ice she stood upon carefully observing to make sure that the ice didn't crack.

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><p>Olivia remained outside the village with the children for the remainder of the morning and most of the afternoon hours before parents began to withdraw to their homes for supper, thanking the Herald for entertaining the usually fidgety demographic. Liv smiled, shaking her head and saying that it was nothing, she was glad to be able to provide them with something to take their minds off of the everyday lull.<p>

Cullen maintained his vigil as he trained the new recruits, absorbed in his task. Their recruits were still green, and required much work. Several times, he'd almost severely hurt a recruit who wasn't using their shield to block well enough. After he'd corrected them for what felt like the hundreth time did the young man finally seem to grasp what the commander was asking him to do.

When dark had descended upon the Frostbacks, cast his eyes back to the centre of the lake, where Olivia was standing alone, a misty looking aura surrounding her, which made him stop what he was doing with an alarmed expression marring his face.

Excusing himself quickly, he strode to the lake's edge, and as his feet touched the ice, he was stopped short. Olivia was skating. Alone, but it looked like an ethereal dance beneath the pale moonlit night. The mist that surrounded her followed her as she moved across the lake surface, and anyone who couldn't see clearly enough would assume that a spirit moved across the ice.

Her movements were fluid, and Cullen couldn't help but stare in wonder at the young woman. When his eyes found her face, he could see her eyes were closed, but the same haunted expression he'd seen in the tower drew away all youth that her face usually possessed. It made him wonder what painful memories were lurking at the forefront of Olivia's mind, for he could only assume that they were recent or eternally damaging.

If Cullen were completely honest with himself, he was enraptured by her. He had been since the day they'd found her in the remains of the Temple of Sacred Ashes – a lone survivor amongst the carnage at the Conclave. It had taken every effort of both himself and Solas to bring her back from the brink of death, the mark on her hand being the cause for most of their troubles.

When she'd woken, he'd been one of the first to see how battered she was. Not physically, but rather emotionally. He'd known she was a mage since first coming into her presence, but unlike the mages he was used to, her magic had been ebbing weakly, strained from sustaining her life. She had played a vital part in her own survival.

When he'd come across her again at the mouth of the temple's ruins, the sheer magnitude of her power had rendered him speechless and sputtering for several minutes. It had intrigued him, despite it's dangers. Her power ran deeply, and was clearly a gift that had passed through several generations of her family before she'd come upon it. Cullen had had to suppress the extreme urge to cast a powerful smite or silence, even when she was nowhere near him. Other templars in the area had been alarmed at the sensation as well, looking to him for guidance on how to proceed.

He'd held up a cautionary hand, and when the group had reached them, the core of her power pulsed and ripped the breath from him. Several of his newer templars had reacted out of instinct, and had drained her mana, wrenching it from her. Olivia had been absolutely furious, and had demanded lyrium potions from the poor unsuspecting merchant who was carrying the templars' supply of lyrium.

Cullen had given her his ration of potions, though he hadn't been taking his dosages as frequently as he should have been, and the young mage had been grateful to him. She'd even made small talk as they acclimated each other with their gifts. He knew that she would have been able to sense he had templar talents from as far away from him as she had been when he'd sensed her.

He'd wished her luck on closing the Breach, and had said a silent prayer to the Maker, asking for Him to deliver her safely back to them. Thankfully, his prayer had not gone unanswered, and Olivia had regained conciousness several days afterwards. Since that moment, she had assisted the Inquisition in every way she could, and had become rather good friends with the handsome former templar.

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><p>Swallowing hard, he took a careful step onto the ice, and when he found that it would easily support his weight, he made his way toward her. When she spun rapidly, her arms wrapped around herself, he waited, and caught her when she went to spin out. The action brought them face to face, and Liv's eyes snapped open. Blue locked upon amber, and the commander could see a flush present from the exertion.<p>

"Commander." Liv stammered softly, close enough to him that he could feel the race of her pulse against his chest. Her eyes searched his as he withdrew a step, expelling a soft breath that he hadn't realised he was holding. "I didn't realise how late it was. I apologise..." She tucked a strand of raven hair behind her ear, watching him quietly.

She hadn't meant to keep him out after hours, especially after the trying day he'd had with his recruits. Liv had been watching him from the centre of the lake the entire afternoon. He was a thorough instructor, and though most would have lost their patience with green recruits, he was forgiving where he could afford to be.

To Olivia, Cullen was an honourable, respectable man whom she'd been drawn to since the moment she'd met him. His voice was somewhat gruff at times, as were his mannerisms, but she knew that he only meant well, and had the Inquisition's best interests at heart. Liv valued his military advice, and had surprised him during his and Cassandra's argument about whether or not they would seek the assistance of more mages. She had wanted to prove to him that she was aware of the volatile nature of all magic, and also that she was not someone who mistrusted templars – she understood that they were just doing their job.

Olivia had stated that suppressing the Breach would be a much more practical approach, and would allow both herself and the templars present a larger degree of control. Cassandra had thrown up her hands in exasperation and had left the war room, but Cullen had smiled approvingly at her.

Bringing her mind back to the moment at hand, she offered a shaky smile in the commander's direction, which he returned warmly before replying to her apology. "No need to apologise, my lady. It is, however, quite cold. Unless you enjoy needing to thaw for the rest of the night in front of the fire." A smirk danced across his lips for a brief second, and Olivia couldn't help but laugh.

"No, commander, I don't fancy having to be carried to the Chantry and placed in front of the fire until I'm human again." Shaking her head in amusement, she made to walk back towards the edge of the lake. As she took a couple of steps, she stumbled and braced herself for an impact that never came. Instead, she was encompassed by warmth, and was surprised to find Cullen kneeling slightly at her side, having caught her easily.

As she went to thank him, he easily scooped her up, walking toward the edge of the lake. Olivia protested quite vehemently as he did, but eventually accepted his assistance, knowing that she was far too cold to be able to walk properly. His warmth would allow her to thaw enough to walk unassisted by the time they reached the village gates.

"I saw what you did for that young girl, in front of her family home." Liv cringed as he spoke again, knowing that he'd have come running out of the Chantry at the first pull of her magic. "Oh Maker Cullen, I'm so sor-" He cut her off with a soft smile. "I thought it was wonderful, actually. That and the skating pond. You gave the people of Haven another reason to adore their Herald."

A bright crimson flush coloured the mage's cheeks, and as they reached the gates of Haven, he set her down gingerly, making sure she could stand before they entered the village together. She thanked him softly before straightening her robes and following him into the village proper.

"Making crystalline figures was a gift I received from a close friend of mine within the Ostwick Circle – it was our Winter Solstice tradition. Each year, we'd make each other a figurine." Olivia smiled at the memory, reminiscing as they walked toward the tower Olivia resided in.

"Unfortunately though, Neria did not survive her Harrowing." Olivia sobered softly as she remembered the day she'd been told of her close friend's death. "She was fourteen – I was nine at the time, and I mourned her for weeks. I refused to attend my studies, made several crystalline figures before shattering them, and scared several of the senior enchanters at the Circle during that period of time." Cullen looked at her sadly, and she shook her head. "I snapped out of it eventually. I passed my own Harrowing three months after Neria failed hers. I remember her every day – it reminds me that all it takes is one mistake. One silly mistake, a single fault in judgement, and I could end up like she did."

Olivia paused at the door to the tower, looking at her commander before offering a soft smile. "I may use my magic to please others, but I do so very rarely because of that very fact. I refuse to allow myself to turn into a monster."

Cullen smiled in return, watching her as she spoke before he replied softly, "Despite what you think, I think you're one of the few mages who could go through a possession and come out the victor. It's a battle of wills – and your will is stronger than any mage I've ever encountered." The commander took one of her hands and bent forward, brushing his lips across the knuckle. "Good night, Olivia." With that said, Cullen turned and walked toward the front doors of the Chantry, leaving a speechless Liv staring after him.

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><p><em>Whew! We made it! Again, I apologise for the MAJOR fluff! We'll get to the action soon, I promise! But how about that charming templar, hmm? Poor Liv. She's overwhelmed!<em>

_Don't forget to favourite, follow, and review! See you in the next chapter!_


	4. Breaching the Daily Lull

_A/N: Again, WOW! This story has just exploded ever since I began uploading it, and I thank everyone who has favourited and followed so far! The story should [hopefully] start becoming more action packed from here on out, so I hope that those of you still with me are excited!_

_This story is still without a beta, so if you [or anyone you know] is interested in becoming the beta for this fanfiction or for my other fic [see Evening Star], please message me! Until then, any errors or lapses in judgement are solely my own doing._

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><p>A few weeks had gone by since Cullen had told her that he thought she'd be the only mage he knew to not only be able to survive a possession, but to also emerge the victor. The statement had rendered her speechless, and she'd spent most of the days succeeding that conversation in deep thought about what the former templar had said. She knew she possessed a remarkably strong will, but to defy possession? That was unheard of.<p>

"Hey Snow, let's go! The Chargers aren't going to wait for us forever, you know!" A familiar voice carried across Haven's open courtyard, and Olivia had to smile at the impatience in the words spoken. "Hold on to your britches Varric, I'm coming." The dwarf grumbled softly as he hoisted his crossbow onto his back, making sure she was still secure as Liv made her way to the party she'd assembled.

Cassandra and Solas were already walking ahead, deep in a discussion about something related to the Breach, so Liv hung back with the storyteller, treating her good friend to a few more details that he could integrate into his latest story as they made their way through the wilds of the Storm Coast in search of some items for Warden Blackwall, as well as for the locations of Grey Warden camps and the Chargers.

It didn't take the group long to stumble upon a group of rogue bandits, the same ones that Lead Scout Harding had mentioned when she'd delivered the report of missing soldiers in the area. Holding out her hands over the ground, Liv quickly sent out an array of barriers as the first wave of arrows flew toward them, harmlessly bouncing off the magical field and falling to the ground in front of Cassandra's feet. With a cry, the Seeker charged into the lines, causing all enemies to turn and focus her seemingly vulnerable self.

As Cassandra drew their focus, Liv slammed her staff into the ground, sending a wave of magical energy through the earth towards the group. Once it reached the first enemy, the wave exploded, encasing almost all of the bandits in ice and allowing for some time for the group to catch their breath. Solas mimicked the ability moments after Liv's ice had thawed, and they were able to cleave the group down with relative ease.

Olivia was a battlemage, preferring the whirling fighting style of a rogue with the aggressive stance of a warrior. However, despite those things, she wielded a staff with an effortless grace, though she easily fend off attackers with the daggers sheathed beneath her cloak. The black fabric whirled around her as she moved around the battlefield, almost as a shriek or a shadow would. This fighting style left enemies vulnerable to being overpowered by Varric and Cassandra, as their fear of Liv wound up distracting them and causing loss of defensive focus.

Once the battle was over, the group located the missing soldiers within the house that the bulk of the bandits had been hiding it, and Liv sighed softly at the sight of their broken bodies. "Poor sods. Never had a chance at defending themselves. Not here, anyway." Placing a hand over her heart after collecting what needed to be collected, she offered a prayer to the Maker, asking Him to guide the soldiers' souls to the Fade, where they could find peace. Once she was done, she set the bodies ablaze so that scavengers could not take advantage of them, and also that demons could not possess the bodies.

Turning sharply, the Herald left the building in search of more clues, a search that resulted in the foursome travelling far over the coasts vast forest lands.

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><p>As they walked, Liv told of an young enchanter of the Ostwick Circle who had gotten into trouble for smuggling candles into solitary confinement, allowing several of the more immature of the tenants to draw out crude shapes with the leftover wax. As she told of the templars' horrified expressions upon finding the drawings, Varric howled with laughter, drawing amused glances from both Cassandra and Solas, who were scouting slightly ahead.<p>

"By the Maker, Snow, how on Thedas did you not get caught?" Varric managed to choke out in-between bouts of laughter. Liv grinned wryly at her friend before responding, "There were so many mages in isolation that they had a hard time pinpointing anyone, to be perfectly honest. That and the templars in charge of watching us were easily bought with a couple of lyrium potions and a book or two." The admission brought a fresh bout of laughter springing forth from the stoutest of their merry band, and Liv laughed softly as well.

"I stopped assisting with the wax drawings after a while – but Kendra? Oh no, that little minx kept going. She even went as far as to steal a sleeping guard's uniform, dress him in her mage robes, and sneak out of isolation for an entire day!" Varric gaped at her with an expression of disbelief. "I'm serious! I was flabbergasted when I learned of her trickery, but I was too amused to report her to any of the Senior Enchanters. However, I was still known for a few of my pranks." A cheeky grin began to stretch across Liv's face as they entered battle with a few easier mobs.

As the foursome battled the relatively weak enemies, Liv continued with her story. "So myself, Kendra, and one of the Junior Enchanters decided to...'decorate' Ser Aldrin's armour with a rather colourful array of crystals. Needless to say, there wasn't much in the way of steel left when we declared the deed done. It was exceedingly and obnoxiously flamboyant. Purples, pinks, and neon orange **everywhere**." Varric roared with laughter again, narrowly missing an arrow fired in his direction as he doubled over with mirth, earning the pair a very angry glare from Cassandra for not paying attention.

"Would you like to know the best part, Varric?" Liv grinned wickedly suddenly, whirling as she slammed the butt of her staff into the ground, sending up a fissure of flame between two of the four enemies surrounding Cass and Solas, encasing their enemies in a wreath of flame and knocking them backwards.

"Do I have a choice, Snow?" The rogue choked out, firing bolt after bolt into the bandits, picking them off one by one. When the last bandit gurgled his last breath, Liv shot a look at Varric. "That colourful piece of armour is on display in the centre of the Circle Tower in Ostwick."

This piece of news was the final straw for Varric. The dwarf guffawed openly, coughing and sputtering as his small body heaved with laughter. Even the relatively stoic Cassandra cracked an amused smile, and Solas chuckled softly. "I'll be that's quite the display, Herald." the other mage quipped dryly, causing Liv to turn to him and grin even wider. "Oh it definitely is. Poor Ser Aldrin gets teased even to this day about that armour set. Thankfully, First Enchanter Ellara wasn't too hard on us about it – she simply scolded us about being thieves, made us apologise to the Knight-Captain and to Ser Aldrin before proceeding to make an impeccably grand display of this completely useless armour set covered in brightly coloured crystals."

Shaking her head, Cassandra did everything she could to bring their attention to the matter at hand, but Liv and Varric were too immersed in giggling and sharing stories to really pay her any mind. After the seeker sighed for the hundreth time, Liv spoke up. "Cass, lighten up. Varric and I know what we're supposed to be doing – besides, the bandits are a piece of cake." To illustrate her point, she shot a very powerful and well-aimed frostfire bolt at one of the bandits who had attempted to sneak up on their group whilst they were distracted. A short, gurgling cry was heard before silence descended upon the Storm Coast once more. Liv patted the seeker's arm gently before she pushed past her to the head of the group, giving poor Varric's lungs a break from all the laughter she'd caused.

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><p>As the early afternoon sun danced behind the ever present storm clouds, Liv grew restless. They'd found all the Grey Warden artifacts and camps for both Blackwall and Leliana, and now all that was left for them to do was locate the Chargers; a task that was proving both frustrating and fruitless.<p>

Meandering through the coastal forest was easy enough, and the occasional group of bandits or wolves kept them on their toes, but Liv was itching for a real fight. As they approaced a delta, a cry of alarm was heard from Cassandra. Not 400 paces in front of them was a dragon that was having one hell of a disagreement with a troll.

Liv whistled beneath her breath, having never seen a dragon this close, and glanced at the warrior for advice. "Any advice, seeker?" Cassandra looked at her wryly before murmuring, "Just try not to get killed." A grin spread across the Herald's face, and she encased Cassandra in a shield just before the warrior went bolting into the fray, shouting in order to draw both the dragon and the troll's ire.

The dragon, sensing it's odds having lessened, decided to take the opportunity to escape, Liv shouting angrily after it. Her anger, however, was short lived as the troll decided she'd be a worthy target, regardless of what Cassandra did to gain it's attention again. Liv took off at a run, leaping over rocks in order to trip the massive creature up. Her cloak whirled about her frame as she backflipped over a particularly large boulder, landing atop it and thrusting her hands at the ground.

Wrenching them up again, she ripped two massive projectiles from the earth itself, and sent them flying into the troll, knocking it off balance long enough for Cassandra and Varric to deal massive damage to it as Solas replenished the groups' barriers. They continued this system of attack for what felt like an eternity before they finally vanquished the obnoxiously large creature.

Upon looting the troll's heavy rucksack, Liv squealed in delight as she found an amulet that would even further augment her magical talents. Pulling her old one off, she tossed it to Solas before pulling the new one over her head, the flawless ruby pendant glistening against her black robes. The other mage was stunned for a moment, but took Liv's old amulet gratefully, having broken his in the course of the fight against the troll. Cassandra made out like a bandit, scoring a shield and a pair of boots that were significantly better than her battered ones, and Varric managed to scrounge a ring from the very bottom of the pile of goodies.

With boosted confidence thanks to their successful slaughtering of the troll, the group pressed on, setting up a new camp site not far from where the remains of the troll now lay. By the time the camp was set up, dark had descended, and upon seeing how tired her companions were, Liv offered to talk the first watch. Grateful, her companions immediately retreated to their tents, and soon the Herald was left with no company other than her own and that of the stars that were barely visible behind the melancholy stormclouds.

As she kept watch, Liv wondered if they had anything from the troll battle that would fit Cullen – either as a piece of equipment or even a gift. She was thrilled to find a pair of vambraces that amplified magical talents for warriors, and she also found a rather unique sharpening stone that she knew the former templar would find intriguing. Smiling, she slid the items into her personal back, taking care to pack them so that they wouldn't get lost among the other items she had packed.

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><p>Back in Haven, Cullen lay wide awake, staring at the ceiling of his bedroom, unable to settle his worried mind enough to let sleep claim him. Reaching into the table beside his bed after a moment, he retrieved the rather thoughtful gift he'd received from Olivia three days earlier – a solid marble stone engraved with intricate runes on one side, and a verse from the Canticle of Trials on the other; a part of the Chant very rare for anyone other than a templar to have memorised.<p>

Liv had recited the canticle to him, shocking him into silence before she'd placed the runestone into his hand, a rueful smile on her face before she went on to give her other advisors gifts of an equally thoughtful nature. Cassandra had received a hand-stitched black leather sheath for her swords that would easily transfer from belt to belt, Leliana received three extensive codexes that would assist her spy network, and Josephine received a gorgeous golden fillagree necklace studded with amethysts. Each advisor had been shocked to receive such a generous gift, especially for having not known Olivia that long, but they had each spoken volumes about their gratitude.

Liv had spent hours with her war council after that, going over strategies, best and worse cast scenarios for the mage and templar rebellion, and even made several executive decisions on extra missions to be completed before the attempt to approach either group would be made. Cullen had to admit his surprise; Liv had really turned around from the angry, bitter mage that had walked out of the fade and made the original attempt to close the Breach. She was still ruthless, but not without care.

Rising, the commander pulled on his armour again along with a cloak, and walked out onto the balcony his room possessed, staring up at the cloudless sky, the stars that dotted them appearing silent and serene. The absence of any noise usually would have been an indicator of good times; however, for Cullen, it was worrisome. It felt empty. Sighing, he looked down at his hands and shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

He had received word earlier that evening that the Herald and her companions were fine, and the commander had breathed a sigh of relief before retiring for the night. He wondered if she was still awake, and if she was, was she thinking of him? Were those brilliant blue eyes of hers watching the same stars he was gazing at? Lifting his head, he looked back up at the stars and smiled softly before turning back inside, his fatigue finally catching up to him.

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><p>Olivia sighed softly as she turned her gaze from the stars, having been staring at them for a good view hours, her mind wandering into worried thoughts of Cullen. She knew that news travelled slowly when they were on the road, so she hoped that he'd heard good word of her and the group. Her teeth caught her lower lip as she thought of how worried he'd be.<p>

Using the last of her watch time, Liv decided to pen a letter to the commander. Well, not a letter exactly. It was more of a excerpt of the journal she kept inside her head. She wasn't sure if she'd ever give the parchment to him, or merely hold onto it until she decided she didn't want to hide it from him anymore.

Three sheets of parchment and two hours later, Solas came to relieve her of her watch. Thanking him softly, she tucked the newly dried and rolled parchment into a safe place in her back before she ducked into her tent, allowing sleep to claim her as soon as she settled onto the bedroll.

Tomorrow, she declared silently and drowsily, they'd find the Chargers along with the Iron Bull. Once they'd done that, they could head home. And she could see him again. A smile graced her face as she let sleep take her, falling into the Fade effortlessly, where she dreamed deeply of Cullen for the first time.

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><p><em>And there we have it! Much more exciting this time! That troll – or is it a giant? I can never tell – when I first stumbled upon it in game, I have to admit I panicked a little bit! No matter, though – like Liv, I managed to kill it by flying by the seat of my pants!<em>

_If you haven't followed, faved, or reviewed yet, I'd love to hear from you! Thank you again to all those who have followed and favourited so far! I have also received some lovely messages – thank you :3 _

_See you in the next chapter!_


	5. Surprises

_A/N: Oh geez, it's been a week since I updated this story! I'm so sorry it took so long – my darling husband forgot to pay our internet bill, so we had dial-up speed internet until we could get it sorted out. Yeesh! A nightmare!_

_That being said, I would like to wish everyone a very happy holiday season, and I'll be updating much more regularly now, I hope! I also have a new beta, so yay! Many thanks to Hell's Pixie for stepping up and being my beta! 3_

_Hope you enjoy this next instalment of the story!_

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><p>When Olivia woke the next morning, the sun was at an odd angle in the stormy sky – much higher than it should have been given she was supposed to be on the third watch of the night, and she groaned as she rubbed her eyes. "Good morning sunshine!" came the chipper voice of Varric from somewhere on her left side, handing over a bowl of breakfast stew. Grumbling softly as she took the bowl of steaming liquid, the mage rose groggily, her eyes still adjusting to the brightness of the sun.<p>

"What time is it?" The question was met with silence, and Olivia found herself getting agitated as she ate the stew Varric had given her. When she was finished chewing, she decided to ask a question she already knew the answer to. "You guys let me sleep through watch again?" She narrowed her icy blue eyes at Cassandra who shrugged and pointed at Solas. Olivia sighed and rose gracefully, straightening her garb before wandering towards the elven mage. "You don't have to keep taking my watch, you know. I appreciate the sentiment, but it makes me feel useless in a way." She spoke softly when she reached his side.

The other mage stood silently atop a set of jagged rocks some distance away from the camp, holding onto his staff for support as his eyes focused on a point somewhere along the horizon. Despite knowing her own eyesight would never find what it was that he was looking at, her eyes followed where his were gazing on the off chance she might actually be able to see.

"I know, but you were dreaming fitfully in the Fade and it would have been unwise to wake you while you were in such a volatile state." came the monotonous reply she had been waiting for. His words caused a rather flattering crimson flush to creep into her cheeks, and she noticed the hint of a smirk on her companion's face.

Her dreams of Cullen had been vivid indeed, and consisted of conversations full of playful, flirtatious banter amidst the snowy Frostback Mountains many trails. It had seemed all too real – real enough to fool anyone naïve enough to become enraptured by the dreams - but even Olivia knew that the Fade shifted depending on her imagination, especially with her affinity for magic. It would take whatever forms she willed it to, a fact she knew terrified most non-mages.

"Er...could we keep that detail between us for the time? Varric would have a bloody field day with that information." She murmured sheepishly, rubbing her arm as she turned to wander back to her bedroll. "Of course, Herald." Rolling her eyes, she walked back to the camp, smacking Varric playfully on the top of the head as he goaded her.

Carefully dodging a return on the slap she'd given him, she knelt by her pack, rolling everything quickly and efficiently, surprisingly with no aid of magic. "Why not wave your fingers and have your pack sort itself out, Snow? It would be faster and help you keep yourself organised better, no?" came the curious and light-hearted jest from Varric.

Olivia was silent for a moment as she worked to methodically pack, making sure the items she'd procured for Cullen were still safe amongst her belongings. When she was satisfied, she glanced over. "Because magic is dangerous, even in simple tasks like packing or cleaning. I don't make a game of my magic, Varric, because I watched a simple cleaning spell go very wrong while I was at Ostwick Circle."

Rising again, she hoisted her pack over her shoulder, the dwarf looking at her with a curious expression. "One day, Varric, I'll tell you that story. In the meantime however, I'd rather get to finding the Chargers and these Grey Warden camps before we head back to Haven." Smiling faintly, she took point, leading the group through the woodlands with ease, as if she'd scouted the area before. Cassandra walked at her side, and struck up several bouts of conversation with Liv, something that the mage was grateful for. It helped direct her thoughts from Cullen.

The vambraces and sharpening stone, though lightweight, seemed to weigh ten times what they usually did as the foursome journeyed throughout the Storm Coasts. Liv didn't understand why she was so worried about giving them to Cullen; it wasn't the first time they would have exchanged gifts, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

The unlikely foursome happened upon several abandoned Grey Warden camps as they wandered the Coast, even coming across old maps of the Deep Roads and carefully preserved griffon feathers, both of which Olivia stored for later in case they became useful to the Inquisition.

At one point, Liv felt that the journey was too quiet, so she decided to break into song, choosing to sing popular tavern songs that Maryden, the Inquisition's bard, played on a regular basis. Her singing voice was a wonderful, warm alto-soprano lilt, and it lifted the words and gave them new life. After a time, she managed to coerce Cassandra to join in, and the two women broke into a rowdy rendition of "Empress on Fire", making Varric laugh as they did.

When they tired of tavern songs, Olivia surprised the group by singing an elven funeral song she had learned from one of the elven mages at the Ostwick Circle- "In Uthenera" To her astonishment, Solas even joined her, smiling faintly as they went through the verses several times.

"Well damn, Snow, I didn't know you knew foreign songs." Varric commented after a moment of silence. "Do you know what it translates to in the common tongue for us uneducated swine?" Olivia laughed softly. "I do, actually. In common, it roughly translates to 'Elder your time is come. Now I am filled with sorrow. Weary eyes need resting, Heart has become grey and slow. In waking sleep of freedom. We sing, rejoice. We tell the tales. We laugh and cry. We love...one more day.' Or at least that's why Elondria said it meant, when I asked her about it." The mage shrugged a little bit, looking to Solas for confirmation.

The other mage looked surprised, and nodded. "That's roughly it, yes. A beautiful sentiment for the lost. Ma serannas, lethallin." Before Varric could ask what Solas had said, Olivia smiled and responded in common, answering the dwarf's unasked question. "You're very welcome, Solas. Come on, let's see if we can find the Chargers before nightfall. I want to get out of these Maker-forsaken woods."

Silence befell the group after the exchange, but there was an air of understanding and closeness around the foursome that had not been there before.

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><p>Several hours passed before the group finally happened upon the Bull's Chargers, but when they reached the mercenary company, there was already a vicious, bloody fight in progress. Heaving a sigh, Olivia slammed her staff into the ground, erecting barriers around the four and some of the Chargers as well, draining quite a bit of her mana in doing so.<p>

Mumbling a curse, she uncorked a lyrium bottle, downing the potion in a swift motion before chucking the now useless vial aside. The magic within her blood surged, and she drew on that strength to assist in whatever ways she could on the field. Olivia drew cold magic from her palms and shot it at several Tevinter mercenaries, their strangled cries filling the air as their muscles seized, making it easier for the warriors to slay them.

When the Tevinter warriors realised that she was a mage of considerable talent and a threat, they began to surround her. An alarmed cry came from Cassandra, but the Seeker needn't have worried – a wicked grin spread across the face of the female mage, and when the Tevinter ranks closed in on her, they were blasted away in every direction with quite a bit of force. Several slammed into rocks, others were tossed into the violent seas. Those that managed to survive the initial blast didn't live long enough to count their blessings before a wave of fire enveloped them.

Glancing over at the mercenary company when the battle was over, Olivia noticed the leader for the first time. A Qunari. The sight unsettled her slightly, having heard the stories of their brutal, unforgiving nature, but she soon realised that there was no reason for her worries.

She heard him asking after his men, something that surprised her, and she cracked a grin when the Chargers opened a couple of kegs. Wandering over to the giant warrior, she held her staff at arms length, the end of it settling easily into the sandy ground. "Iron Bull, I assume?" She was met with a grin. "And you must be the Herald everyone's been talking about."

"I am indeed. Quite impressive, your Chargers." Olivia quipped, earning a few cheers from several of the men fighting under the Qunari's command. "Eh, they're good men. They do their jobs, they get paid well enough. They're good fighters, every one of 'em." His gaze turned back to Olivia.

"To the point – we want in. We're expensive, but we're worth it. We're front-line warriors, not afraid to dive into the thick of battle." Olivia nodded as he spoke, absorbing every word. She was about to speak when Bull opened his mouth again. "There's something else too. Might piss you off. Heard of the Ben-Hassrath?" When Olivia nodded. "That's me. Well, that's...us." He motioned to his company.

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "I'm listening, Bull." The giant warrior nodded. "Right. Well, it's like this. I work for you, but I send reports to the rest of the Ben-Hassrath and the Antaam. In turn, you get access to all their information, through me, as well as reports. What do ya say?"

Glancing at Cassandra, who shrugged, she turned back to Bull. "Alright Bull. We could use you and your Chargers." His face split into a grin. "Excellent. Krem! Tell the men to finish drinking on the road. The Chargers just got hired!" Bull's statement was met with a groan about having to seal the casks again, but he turned to Olivia. "We'll see you back in Haven, boss." With that, he turned and rounded up the rest of the Chargers' belongings and headed towards Haven.

Cassandra looked a little shaken, but Varric shrugged. "He's different than the Qunari I've encountered. Then again, my only encounter was with the Qunari in Kirkwall. Damn Isabella and the blasted Tome." He grumbled, shaking his head. "Almost as bad as Bartrand with that damn idol." Olivia laughed softly. "It's alright. I have faith in them." She looked up at the sky, frowning.

"Come on. If we want to get back to Haven within a reasonable time, we have to get moving. We've already been gone for a week. We can't afford to be away for too long. Who knows what kind of unrest we'll be met with." Turning, she began to walk in the same direction Iron Bull and his Chargers had, tightening her cloak as the storms began to blow harder.

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><p>Four days of travelling later, they managed to make it back to Haven despite a few minor setbacks, and Olivia noted a considerable stress in the face of their military commander as they entered the village. She raised an eyebrow slightly, but made no mention of it. She was sure her own stress showed just as much. It had been the first of many lengthy trips away from the handsome former templar, and her mind reeled from both the separation and the intense dreams she experienced of a night.<p>

As the group walked through the village, plenty of people stopped them to ask questions, or just to thank Olivia for the hundreth time. Though many in her place would have brushed off the townsfolk, she entertained their well-wishes and heartfelt compliments for the better part of an hour before she excused herself, desperate to unpack and settle into a real bed for the night.

Upon entering the tower, Olivia left the door slightly ajar and lit a few lamps as she usually did, the fire dancing atop the oil wick. Deciding to dive head first into her task, she began to unpack her belongings as methodically as she had packed them, setting aside the small silk-wrapped package for Cullen as she did. She would have to find a good time to give them to him- preferably while they were not in the company of others. She'd also managed to find another codex for Leliana and some rather luxurious fabrics for Josie, since the Antivan ambassador had been complaining of a lack of a proper cloak for the cooler climate. "Hopefully they like them...Cass got her sword, too, so I really shouldn't get her anything else. She might become suspicious of my intentions, or think I'm just trying to butter her up."

"I highly doubt that. She loved the sheath you got her. It's the first thing on her belts when she gets a new one. Not to mention the blade you crafted for her." came a familiar tenor voice from her doorway, startling her slightly. "Cullen. I didn't hear you come up." She stammered softly, swallowing as she turned to look at him. She was sure she sounded like a moron to him, and she adjusted her posture, standing straighter as she gazed at the blonde warrior. The soft lamp light made him look weary, and she had to fight the urge to gently brush a hand across his cheek.

"Were things terribly stressful for you while we were away?" She asked, hoping to get him talking a little a she moved about the room, putting things away. Olivia never even thought about pulling on her magic while he was in the room with her, and he watched her with some degree of surprise.

"It was surprisingly calm here, at least until the Chargers showed up. An entire day before you, I might add." There was a tone of wry playfulness to his words, and Liv cringed at the implication, knowing she'd gotten him lost a time or two around Haven in the weeks she'd been with the Inquisition. "Yes, I got us lost. I'm useless with directions most of the time. Mountains confound me." Cullen laughed softly, walking further into the room to help her put her tomes away, as well as hang up her cloak. "Next time you're lost, try looking up at the stars. They're an easy way to navigate."

Olivia looked over in surprise, rolling the idea around in her head before she responded. "Really? I never thought about that." The commander nodded as he leaned against a table slightly. "It's one of the things we Templars were taught. It was helpful at times, I'll admit." Though he didn't say 'while we hunted apostates', Olivia could hear the words bouncing around in the silence between them. She swallowed again before reaching for the silk package on her bed.

"I um...I found these while we were on the Storm Coast. I figured you'd get more use out of them than anyone else." Her cheeks flushed, much to Cullen's amusement, and he unwrapped the gift carefully with a rueful smirk on his face. When his eyes rested on the vambraces and the sharpening stone, he drew in a breath, the smirk vanishing from his face almost instantly. "Maker...these are..." He looked up at Olivia, whose worry was etched into the surface of her blue eyes at his sudden change of expression.

"Thank you. Truly." he finally spoke, putting her out of her moment-long misery. Her face relaxed almost instantly, and she was surprised when he removed his gloves to take his old vambraces off, replacing them with the new ones. He flexed his hands a few times, drawing on the enchantment in them before he replaced his gloves. "They're perfect. Thank you, Liv."

Another flush, this one deeper, creeped into Olivia's face as he used her nickname. "You're welcome, Cullen. I'm glad you like them." A moment of silence followed before Cullen cleared his throat and made for the door of the tower. "I'll erm...let you rest. You've had a tiresome journey. No doubt the mattress is calling your name." He smiled warmly at her, and Liv prayed he didn't see her bite her lip slightly as he did. Instead, the mage nodded with a smile of her own that she prayed didn't waver, and her military commander bade her a soft goodnight before closing the door behind him.

Breathing out a heavy sigh, Olivia walked over to her bed and flopped back onto it. "Oh Maker, I'm hopeless." she uttered, staring at the ceiling. "What am I going to do..." She grumbled, throwing an arm over her face as she lay there, eventually letting sleep claim her.

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><p><em>AN: Whew! What a journey! I apologise for the shortness of this chapter (as well as the fluff), but I felt it appropriate to develop Liv's character a little bit. She's not entirely cheerful all the time, but she likes to appear that way. Hence the title. Hopefully, we'll see more of her development as we delve deeper into this story. _

_Cullen is delicious to write! I'm having a blast cheering him up and making him less of a formal person than BioWare has him written._

_Until next chapter, loves!_


	6. Walking Nightmare

_A/N: HUGE thanks to Starbuckathena for alerting me to the muck-up of chapter postings earlier today! I have no idea why the doc manager thought I selected Evening Star's chapter 6 instead of Pretender's chapter 6, but below is the REAL chapter 6 for this fic! Thanks so much for reading!_

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><p>The week following gifting Cullen his vambraces passed with little to no issues arising at all, and Olivia was grateful for the slight lull in seriousness around the camp. She and her companions had managed to recruit several new agents into the Inquisition, including a spirit named Cole and a priestess named Anais from a cult in the southern hills of the Hinterland. Their information and connections had proven very valuable in affording extra power for the Inquisition's core.<p>

Olivia had also taken some of the downtime to practice a technique called Fadewalking with a lot of help from Solas, who had been more than willing to sit down and teach her. The elven mage was patient with her, even despite her lack of Fade experiences. In truth, Olivia had very rarely dreamed over her youthful twenty-three years; and, thus, had never truly interacted with the Fade outside of her Harrowing and the incident at the Conclave.

This particular type of magic was strong and very volatile. Even the slightest shift or drop in concentration could result in some dire circumstances, especially for someone with no experience at all. Since it was all illusion, dropping it could cause a rebounding effect; a rush of reality so potent that it could throw off a mage's equilibrium for several hours or even several days.

With a great many warnings to heed and several things to focus on, Olivia began to practice drawing on her magic without really putting all of her energy into it. She would need to split that energy between several things; the environment she was dreaming of, the magic she wielded. She would also need to be aware of her surroundings and whether or not other magical beings were present. Solas spoke of tiny pinpricks along her magical energy fields; small, fleeting ones were spirits, whereas angry, forceful ones were demons.

Once she had successfully managed to draw on her magic, she began to envision things, creating fantastic and realistic worlds for herself, just as Solas had shown her once. This part of the Fadewalking process was easy for her, so she progressed into keeping a shield around herself at all times, to ward off demons. Once this was to Solas' satisfaction, the real tests began.

Fadewalking was frustrating for her, and several times, the mage got so agitated with her ineptitude to put all the parts of it together that she set the hems of her robes on fire and effectively lose concentration. Solas had found this quite amusing, but had wisely held back any wisecracking remarks as he helped her snuff out her robes. He always coaxed her to try again, and eventually, Liv was able to wander the Fade in fully conscious dreams.

In the days since she'd finally gotten the hang of the technique, she had excused herself for a couple of hours on days she was not out recruiting and closing more rifts, shutting herself in her quarters and magically sealing the door before setting protective wards, just in case. Once she prepared, she would centre herself within the room, and empty herself of all feeling. When she'd accomplished that, she pulled on her magic as well as drew on some of the energy within the bowl of lyrium she set in front of her to cast herself into the Fade.

Which was where she was now. Anyone who knew Olivia well enough knew that if the door to her room was shut, no one was to enter it. If they did, they risked the wrath of the Herald as well as merited several well-aimed spells.

Drawing in a breath, Olivia cast herself into the Fade once her concentration was pooled, looking around at her surroundings with a smile. This time, she was in the woods outside of the Trevelyan estate, a place she had enjoyed spending time as a child before she'd been forced into the Ostwick Circle. Of course, at the time, she had not argued against being sent away. It would have been unbecoming and reflected poorly on her noble family, so she had gone willingly.

At first, the Circle had fascinated her; she could freely practice magic without being judged for it. Unfortunately, Olivia had found out that while she wouldn't be judged for being a mage, she sure as hell would be judged for being a noble.

Sighing softly, Olivia brought her wavering concentration back to her location and began to wander through the area. It was lush, green as the trees towered overhead, cloaking the skies from view, save for small pockets of starlight. Since the Fade manifested based on her imagination, it was easy to get small details of the area slightly wrong, but for the most part, it had produced an accurate replica. As she wandered, she felt the prickling sensation of another magical being at the edge of hers, and she turned towards it, curious.

Her icy coloured eyes happened upon a small, ethereal creature that she immediately understood to be a wisp, from what Solas had taught her. Olivia knew them to be curious and playful spirits, and so she knelt in the grass, a non-threatening posture, and extended her hand and her magical reach, inviting the spirit to speak with her, should it choose. To Olivia, wisps appeared as small and childlike, frail and easily frightened. However, this wisp walked over to her without hesitation, as if it were visiting an old friend.

"We've met before." The words were out of Olivia's mouth before she could stop them, and she worried that the small being would vanish upon being called out. Instead of vanishing, the creature whizzed around her, seemingly happy that she had recognised it. Laughing softly, Olivia rose with ease and continued on her journey through the paths the Fade had lay at her feet. As she walked, she conversed quietly with the wisp, understanding the quizzical language it used to communicate.

It was a wondrous experience, finally making familiar contact with a spirit, and Olivia found herself wondering where she had come across the wisp before. The only time she'd felt another presence beside her own was at her Harrowing, though she had never actually seen the being responsible for it, and she looked over at her companion with a thoughtful gaze.

"You helped me through my Harrowing. Guided my way when I got lost on the paths." It wasn't a question. A chirping sound escaped the wisp, a noise that was accompanied by what Olivia would pinpoint as childlike laughter. She immediately knew what the wisp was laughing about and rubbed her eyes slightly before pinching the bridge of her nose, a habit she had picked up from Cullen. "Yes, I know. I'm useless with directions. I always get lost somewhere." She sighed softly at the creature, and was met with even more tittering. It was an endearing sound and she was comforted by it.

The more she lost herself in the dream world, the more her thoughts began to centre on that moment of time. Occasional ripples danced across the surface of the Fade as it shifted to accommodate both her imagination and her reminiscence. Thankfully, Olivia was used to the smaller shifts, and found them non-threatening.

Or at least, she did until something rather unexpected happened. It was after a particularly violent shift that Olivia startled herself by coming across a somewhat painful memory, its echo reverberating around her as the scene registered in her mind.

"_NO! MAX!"_

Hearing her voice as it was when she was no more than five or six was sobering for Olivia, and the wisp at her side made a forlorn sound that mimicked Olivia's childlike despair. However, despite the sound, the wisp began to glow a bright blue and floated off toward the north-east, seemingly leading her toward something of interest.

Frowning, the mage followed the small creature to a clearing within the forest, where she could see the echo of a small girl bent over a slightly larger young boy. All colour drained out of her face as she recognised the scene before her. A memory that she had worked quite hard to suppress, since it had led to quite a lot of tension within her family.

"_MAX! WAKE UP!"_

"MAX!" Olivia's panicked, adult voice shattered the illusions conjured by the Fade and reality rushed back to surround her like an elastic band that had been stretched too far. It shook the tower with the force of the rebound, and left the raven-haired mage curled in a ball in the middle of her floor, the magical wards she'd placed dissipating instantly.

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><p>Cullen, who had been on his way out of the village and heading towards the recruits who were busy clashing in front of the tents before Haven's gates, glanced up at Olivia's tower just long enough to see a violent blue flash emit from the window, followed by a small tremble beneath his feet and a panicked cry from several of the townsfolk, some of who cried out about the Herald being in trouble.<p>

His eyes widened in horror as the scene before him unfolded. He'd only seen such a flash once before, but it had been much larger as well as red; and it had destroyed Kirkwall's chantry. Praying to the Maker for Olivia's safety as he broke into a sprint, he yelled at a nearby recruit, "Get Solas! NOW! We're going to need him."

Without bothering to see if the command had registered, Cullen raced to the stairs leading up to the tower bridge, taking two at a time. As he ran, he mumbled small pieces of the Chant of Light, trying to keep himself from panicking completely, though his efforts were fruitless. He could hear the voices of Solas and Cassandra from somewhere below him, but he didn't bother to slow down. His only thought was that of Olivia's safety.

Bursting through the heavy oak door at the top of the adjoining tower, Cullen made his way hastily across the bridge that led into Olivia's room before pausing at her door briefly. Steeling himself for whatever he'd find, he pushed the door open carefully, and immediately swallowed a lump in his throat.

Papers and tomes were strewn everywhere, almost as if a forceful wind had blasted through the room, and several things were knocked over. He noticed, with a pang of regret, that Olivia's favourite lamp had been smashed as well as the locket he'd seen around her neck constantly. Stooping to pick up the locket and its fragments, he slid them into his pocket before he stepped further into the room.

His heart sank as his eyes came across Olivia, lying crumpled in the middle of the floor, her body shuddering violently. "Liv..." he breathed softly, kneeling beside her quickly and laying a warm hand against her shoulder in an effort to comfort her. All he could hear were soft cries of "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!" and "Please don't send me away!" The sounds broke his heart, and he bit the inside of his lip to keep from reacting any further than was necessary. Now was not the time.

"What happened?" the worried voice of Cassandra permeated the silence, and Cullen turned to address the seeker as Solas pushed past her, muttering an elven curse before he knelt at her side, assessing the damage.

"I have no idea, Cassandra. I was on my way out to the recruits and happened to glance back toward the village. When I did, this blinding flash of blue light emitted from the Herald's window, and was followed by a trembling feeling. Several villagers saw what I did, maybe even more." The words were rushed and he turned to look at Olivia again, his heart thumping wildly in his chest.

"She's okay." Solas spoke quietly as he passed his hands over Olivia's trembling form, and Cullen almost sank to the ground in relief. He heard the seeker sigh with gratitude beside him. "Thank the Maker," was the Nevarran warrior's response.

"We should move her to the infirmary. I can better assess her there, as well as have access to my supplies." Solas directed the statement at Cassandra, but it was Cullen who responded. "See that it's done. I'll carry her down." Without waiting for either of them to respond, the blonde commander bent down and scooped Olivia up easily. Cullen forced himself to focus on his task rather than on the fact that she was closer to him now than she had been in the months since they'd met, even with their playful bantering.

Stepping past Cassandra, Cullen walked back across the bridge, cradling Olivia in his arms. As the unlikely group walked, Olivia curled up tighter against his chest, sighing softly in what Cullen could only describe as contentment. He adjusted his hold on her slightly so that she lay against him in a position that was both uncompromising for him and comfortable for her and made his way down to the infirmary.

Setting the small-statured mage down on the bed at the farthest end of the infirmary, Cullen went to take his leave. As he did, Olivia reached out in reflex, grabbing his hand and latching on to it with an iron grip. The commander winced a little bit, but relented, taking up a seat at Olivia's side as Solas began to work on bringing her equilibrium back to balance.

As the mage and Templar kept close watch on Olivia, Varric entered the infirmary. Upon seeing the commander's hand in Olivia's, he went to make some smart-mouthed comment; however, the stressed and somewhat pleading look on Cullen's face stopped him short. Instead, the dwarf elected to walk over and stand at his side. "How is she, Curly?"

Sighing at the use of the nickname, Cullen answered quietly, "In and out of consciousness now. Whatever happened...Solas knows, but he refuses to give me any straight answers. All I know, though, is that she will 'come back to herself soon.' That's all he tells me." Varric sighed and threw the elven mage a dirty look before pulling up a chair at the commander's side.

"Well then, Curly. I guess we wait."

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><p><em>AN: I want to thank everyone who is continuing to read this fanfic – it means the world to me that you all enjoy it so much! I know nothing overly exciting happens in this chapter, but it will kick up again soon. I wanted you all to get a brief glimpse into the past of our wonderful Inquisitor Trevelyan :)_

_Please don't forget to favourite, follow, and review! I really appreciate the feedback!_

_See you all in the next chapter!_


	7. Slow To Realise

_A/N: Whew! Last chapter was heavy, huh? Sorry for being such a downer last chapter! Hopefully this next part will cheer everyone up :) Huge thanks to Pixie for being an absolutely wonderful beta :3 ALSO! If anyone would like to draw cover art/fan-art for this fic, I would **love** to see it! Any questions can be directed to me through my inbox :)_

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><p><em>Warm. So warm. The overwhelmingly comforting feeling of being wrapped up in a fleece blanket while laying across her mother's lap as Max sparred with their father...the feeling of Duke, the family dog, curled against her side as she spent the week in bed ill with a flu...Mama's arms, coddling her as they both cried over Max's stuffed animals...the feeling of Cullen's embrace as he carried her down the tower stairs...<em>

Her eyes flew open at the last particular memory, a shaky gasp escaping her throat. It was pitch black in the room where she lay, save for a small oil lantern. It took a moment for her to get her bearings, but when her eyes finally adjusted, she came upon two hunched figures. It took her a moment to discern who they were, but when she did, she laughed softly. The sight before her was one she would likely never see again, so she relished the small victory as she lay eyes on her two closest friends.

Cullen's blonde head rested on his arms, leaning over against the edge of the bed, and Varric's head was leaned back against the wall of the infirmary, soft snores escaping every few moments. A smile spread across the mage's face as she watched the two of them. She realised they must have been there the entire time she'd been out, and she felt a wave of guilt hit her. Both of them must have been worried sick about her well-being, and she knew that even when they woke, she would be unable to answer their questions, at least for a time.

Shifting a little bit, she gently reached for Cullen, tousling his blonde hair a little bit before she brushed the flaxen strands from his face. The scar on his lip was faded, but it was obvious something had caused the young commander serious harm. She ran a finger along the scar softly, tracing the edges with her index finger. The sudden touch made him jump awake, and Olivia bit her lip as she withdrew her hand warily, resting it on his arm lightly. "Sorry...I didn't mean to startle you..."

"Maker – no, it's fine." He smiled softly as he blew out a breath, pushing a hand through his hair. He was vaguely aware of her hand against his arm, and he gently covered it with one of his own. "I'm glad you're awake. I-er, we-" he looked over a Varric with a wry grin, "We were worried about you." His voice was hoarse, as if he hadn't used it much while she was unconscious, and it made Olivia's heart squeeze painfully.

"I'm so sorry...I didn't mean to make either of you panic. And...oh Maker! Cass must have been beside herself. And Josie." Olivia groaned softly, flopping back against the bed with her free hand thrown over her face. "They were a little panicked, of course. Solas is as evasive as ever when it comes to telling us what happened." the commander chuckled softly, sighing a little afterwards. Olivia winced a little bit, gathering her thoughts before she responded, removing the arm covering her face.

"I...I promise I'll tell you what happened. Just not today. Alright?" She asked quietly, watching him with curious eyes. Where she would normally have expected him to get frustrated with her and start demanding answers, he simply nodded. "That's fine. I didn't expect answers today." A rueful smile played over his mouth, and he glanced down to where his hand still covered hers. Olivia made to apologise and withdraw her hand, but the commander stopped her with a look.

Molten amber eyes stared straight into deep-sea blue, and Olivia sat up slightly after a moment, her gaze never wavering. There was much that needed to be said, but she found herself struggling for the words. It seemed the handsome commander was in the same predicament, for a knowing smile tugged at his mouth after a moment. Olivia returned the smile with one of her own, chewing on the side of her lip softly.

Cullen, recognising it as a nervous habit, gently reached forward with his free hand and freed her lip from her teeth by gently pulling down on it. The gentleness of his touch sent shock waves through Olivia's nervous system, and heat rose in her face, colouring her cheeks quite nicely. A moment of hesitation was wrought with the tension of unasked questions, and it lasted mere seconds before the former templar bent his head forward, closing the distance.

Their lips met in what was likely the softest kiss either of them had ever received, and the sensation was unlike anything she had felt in her lifetime. Cullen withdrew after a moment, clearing his throat softly as Olivia tried to reign her pulse back under her control. No words were exchanged between the two; only secretive smiles.

Unbeknownst to the couple, Varric had been awake ever since Cullen had woken, and the entire scenario was etched into the dwarf's vast memory. A grin tugged at his features as well, for he now had the perfect blackmail material on either of them. The grin quickly vanished before Olivia looked his way, and he must have appeared to be dead asleep because Olivia murmured softly, "I can't believe you both stayed the entire time." Her statement was met with a somber, "Of course we did. You mean far too much to either of us for us not to be here." Varric thought sarcastically to himself, _'At last, a sentiment that we both agree on, Curly.'_

The commander returned to the barracks some time later that morning, informing both Solas and Cassandra that Olivia was awake and unharmed. The Seeker offered a soft "Thank the Maker for that. I was getting concerned." while Solas simply thanked him for informing him and walked out to the infirmary.

Before Cullen could walk to his quarters, Cassandra lightly took him aside. "Did you ask what happened?" The worry was evident in her voice; she wanted to get to the bottom of what happened as much as he did.

"I did, but she declined to divulge any information, at least for now." The seeker's expression turned thunderous, but Cullen held up a hand before she went stomping over to the infirmary. "She's only just woken, Cassandra. Give her some time to sort through her memories. She'll tell us when she's ready." He was met with a sigh and a grateful nod before the warrior left to check on her friend. Chuckling softly, he walked into his office/bedroom, and flopped onto his mattress, grateful for a real sleeping surface. Infirmary walls, beds, and his arms certainly did not make sleeping an easy task.

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><p>The days following her recovery were slow for Olivia, but she understood everyone's caution. After insisting for the fifth time that she was more than fine, she pulled her armour on and grabbed her staff, heading out to the war room to send her advisors and troops out on more missions for supplies.<p>

Olivia had a very specific approach to how she divided responsibilities between Josephine, Leliana, and Cullen; Josephine got the the delightful task of dealing with nobles and dignitaries, as well as responding to rumours. Leliana and her spies were to scout and collect information as well as eliminating dangerous singular threats as quietly as possible, while Cullen and the contingents of soldiers he took out with him were to clear out areas of groups enemies, find new paths, and do escort missions when the need arose.

Each of the advisors took their roles very seriously, something that Olivia admired about them, and they never questioned her reasoning behind sending them out on any particular missions. They simply acknowledged what they had to do and got to it. It made running the Inquisition very simple for Olivia, and it was a reprieve she was grateful for. If it had been any more stressful, she was unsure that she'd be fit for the task.

As she exited the War Room, Cassandra caught up to her, and asked if she'd go for a walk around the village with her to inspect the siege equipment. Understanding that Cass wanted to talk, Olivia agreed, and walked at the Nevarran warrior's side as they wandered.

"I wanted you to know that Cullen was the first person to react to what happened last week." she began, and Olivia had to stifle a grin. "Oh? I half expected **you** to be the first, Cass." the mage chided playfully, and the usually stoic seeker laughed softly. "I would have been, if the commander hadn't taken off like he did. He sprinted up to your room before I even had a chance to react. Almost killed himself tripping over a weapon stand on the way up, too." Glancing sideways at the seeker, Olivia could see that one of her eyebrows was cocked up.

"What's that look for?" she asked, raising one of her own eyebrows. Cassandra simply shook her head as they walked. "There's something going on between the two of you. I should warn you – don't get too attached to him. If either of you fall before this nonsense is over..." The warrior trailed off with a sigh, looking down at her hands.

"The mighty Cassandra Pentaghast is worried about either of us getting heartbroken? How cute!" Olivia laughed as the seeker's cheeks flushed slightly. "No- well, yes, but-" A frustrated sigh escaped Cassandra's mouth, and Olivia stifled her laughed for a moment so that the poor woman could speak without being hindered. "I'm worried about you both because I see you both as treasured friends and allies. Without both of you, this Inquisition would not have a backbone."

Olivia was stunned; she'd never really seen herself as anyone overly important, not even with the mark on her hand. She was simply a mage who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, and had paid the price for her curiosity and willingness to help someone in need. "Cass..." she spoke softly, laying a hand on the warrior's shoulder.

"Don't ever do what you did in that tower again. I don't think I-" Cassandra paused, clearing her throat. "I don't think anyone of us could take seeing you that way again, Liv." Her words were shaky, and when Olivia looked down at the ground, her eyes caught sight of Cassandra's wavering hands.

"I can't make any promises, Cass. But I certainly will try my best to look out for my safety. For the sake of you, my advisors, and the rest of our forces here. Alright?" She gently rest a hand on her friend's shoulder, looking at her again. She was met with a silent nod, and the two continued their rounds of Haven in an understanding silence.

When the two women returned over two hours later, they found everyone waiting for them outside of the gates. "There you are!" Varric exclaimed, grinning broadly. "We're going to play Wicked Grace tonight. And none of you are allowed to bow out."

Olivia groaned softly, as did both Cullen and Cassandra, while Sera, Bull, and even Josephine grinned mischievously. "Alright, alright. I'll bite. One game, Varric." Olivia warned. "You almost won all of my sovereigns the last time we played." The dwarf patted his pockets with a laugh. "I intend to will all of them this time, Snow." The statement earned him a glower that made him chuckle harder.

Half the group grumbling, the other half scheming, they all made their way toward the tavern, where Varric had procured the largest table they had along with half the chairs in the place. Several of their recruits asked to join, which Olivia was only too happy to oblige to, and the evening began with cheerful bouts of fragmented conversations as well as round after round of drinks.

By the end of the evening, Olivia had lost half of her savings as well as her dignity, Cullen had lost all of his dignity and a few sovereigns while Josephine sat on a pile of money that nearly reached her chin. "C'mon Josie, stop cheating!' Olivia whined, making the group laugh at her despair.

The Antivan ambassador simply grinned and shook her head. "I'll never tell my secrets, Herald. Who's up for another round?"

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><p><em>AN: I know this chapter is short, but I wanted a little fluffy filler after all the heavy shit from last chapter! Thanks again to everyone who read, reviewed, favourited, and followed! Hope you guys are enjoying the holidays!_

_See you in the next chapter!_


	8. Bitter Chill

_A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who left reviews! I'm so glad you guys [and girls] are enjoying reading this fic as much as I'm enjoying writing it! The story is starting to pick up, thankfully – we won't be in Haven much longer! And yes, I know the Wicked Grace scene technically doesn't happen until act 2 [or is it act 3?] but screw it – they deserve a little downtime!_

_HUGE thanks again to Pixie for being such a wonderful beta – and in the midst of dealing with her master's degree studies! _

_On we go!  
><em>

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><p>The days following her horrible losses at Wicked Grace seemed to muddle together, and Olivia all but lost track of time as she went through her daily routines. Days turned to weeks, weeks to a month. Finally, 6 weeks after losing almost all of her money, Olivia had managed to make back double what she'd lost, regaining quite a bit of her dignity in the process.<p>

She had also managed to recruit a rather peculiar individual to the Inquisition after an initial visit to the capital of Orlais; an elven archer whose name was Sera. Sera wasn't quite what anyone was expecting, and paid no mind to what anyone said about her. She was loud and boisterous, but her aim with a bow was deadly. Olivia had also coerced several other agents to join the cause, bolstering their numbers significantly.

Haven was stretched to the brim, and Olivia wasn't sure they could afford to recruit any more followers. Despite her concerns, however, Josephine insisted on recruiting more to help the Inquisition; nobles, farmers, merchants, smugglers – whatever they could get their hands on.

There was also one other issue to address – which faction they would turn to for assistance in sealing the Breach. Cullen was still pushing for Templar support, while Cassandra and Leliana fought him tooth and nail, insisting that the rebel mages were their best option. Every night for 2 weeks, Olivia sat and mediated arguments between her advisors. Normally, she'd have lent her own voice, but she was still torn over whom to extend a formal invitation to. That would soon change.

After that rather inauspicious visit to Val Royeaux, however, Olivia's attitude towards the entire conflict was understandably sour. After an ostentatious display of power from Lord Seeker Lucius, Olivia had managed to recruit Montsimmard's First Enchanter as well as speak to the leader of the rebel mages, Grand Enchanter Fiona, an elven woman who was determined to pin the death of the Divine on the Templars. The conversation with Fiona had given Olivia a headache, and she had turned on her heel and promptly head back to the docks. Orlais had proven less than helpful in aiding her decision.

Before she had departed the city, Fiona had extended an invitation to speak with her and a few rebels in the village of Redcliffe, and Olivia had found herself wondering if there was any justification in going to meet them. At a meeting with her advisors shortly after returning to Haven, Olivia had informed them of the conversation, intending to gain their insight. All it had led to was another round of senseless arguments, causing the agitated mage to rise quickly after pock-marking the maps on the table to prove a point that infighting was getting them nowhere fast.

Cullen had followed her, only adding to her problems. Things were still tense between the two of them, especially following the events that had occurred in the infirmary. Olivia had spent a week blushing darkly every time she'd caught his eyes, and Varric had been merciless in his tormenting of her. He had relented eventually, though she was sure threatening him with the singeing of his chest hair had sped that process along.

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><p>Sighing, Olivia kicked at a the small pebbles littering the dirt paths of the village, her hands in the pockets of her new winter cloak. She had purchased a thicker version of her original overcoat in Orlais, having noted the chill slowly creeping up. It would be nearing Winter's End soon, she wagered, and one look at a crude calendar in the Chantry had confirmed her suspicions.<p>

Which brought Olivia to her current problem; what in Thedas' name was she going to gift her friends for the holiday? She had such a variety of people to buy for, and very little inkling as to what any of them would like, save for her advisors. Olivia settled down on a half-wall along the patrol paths of the village, and pulled her worn leather journal from her belt.

Turning to an empty page at the rear of the book, she pulled out a quill that she had enchanted to consistently refill it's own inkwell, and made a list of the people she was going to gift things to, as well as what she would gift them.

_Varric -_

_Bull -_

_Solas - _

_Cass -_

_Josie -_

_Leli -_

_Cullen -_

_Flissa -_

_Diora -_

Rubbing the back of her neck, she frowned at the page thoughtfully. There was no point in getting Vivienne anything – the woman had everything she wanted. That, and Olivia didn't particularly get along with the pompous knight-enchanter. Varric and Bull were relatively easy to gift for, so she wrote her ideas down beside their names with a wry grin. They'd find the humour in her gifts, no doubt.

Diora was another easy one – the small girl had been enchanted by the rose that Olivia had made, and the mage planned on making an exquisite piece for the child. Fliss, her mother, was also receiving a piece of artwork in a similar style. It would prove no problem to procure several things of value and notoriety for Josie, and Solas would benefit from a gift of magical property.

However, Olivia was struggling with what to gift her other three companions. Cassandra didn't particularly enjoy receiving gifts, which made it exceptionally difficult to please her, and Leliana and Cullen both had more tomes and simple things between them than Olivia could care to count.

After a couple of hours of deliberation, Olivia settled on a set of white-steel, master crafted armour for Cassandra, complete with a shield and a beautifully crafted set of black and gold leathers for Leliana. Both women had complained about their armour for a time since Olivia had joined, and she would be happy to provide them quality armour that would last.

Cullen's gift, however, was proving a frustrating challenge. Another few moments went by, and when inspiration deigned to fail her, Olivia snapped the journal shut in annoyance, stuffing it back in the pouch that she'd strapped onto her belt specifically for it, the quill following not long after. "Blast it all!" She hissed, kicking a pebble as she went to annihilate a practice dummy in hopes of releasing some of that frustration.

"Bad time, my lady?" a familiar voice tinged with amusement pierced her bubble of anger. Glancing up, her blue eyes met the comforting molten amber gaze of the Inquisition's commander, and the source of quite a bit of her frustration.

"Cullen." She breathed softly, sighing as she pulled a hand through her raven hair. "No, I was just...thinking. Violently." Her response elicited a laugh from him as he gently held a hand out to her. "Perhaps a walk would help? Get away from all this nonsense for a time?"

Gratefully, Olivia took the proffered hand, squeezing gently as they began to walk toward the village gates. "May I ask what you were mumbling about back there?" Cullen asked after a time, the silence making him uneasy.

"Mm? Oh." Olivia laughed softly, glancing up at him. "I was thinking of what to gift people for Winter's End. It's in two weeks, did you know?" Her question was met with a sly grin. "You're done already." She accused, her eyes narrowing at him slightly.

"I am indeed, my lady." The scowl that crossed Olivia's face made him chuckle softly before he asked gently, "Might I be of some assistance?" The scowl quickly turned into an expression of alarm, and Olivia shook her head rapidly. "No, no. I'll be alright. Hopefully this walk will prove fruitful in delivering some much needed inspiration."

Getting the hint, Cullen changed the topic to something more light-hearted, and he could tell Olivia appreciated the change. They wandered the longest trail around the village, filling a gracious hour with small talk in the hopes that it would lift the young woman's spirits and keep her mind at ease, at least for a time.

Her distance from him over the last month had worried him, but looking at her now, he could tell she was overwhelmed with all the goings on. There were soft bags beneath her cold blue eyes, and her skin lacked the natural flush he had come to adore. The lustre in her eyes was duller as well, and it cut him to the core. He'd been so worried that he'd offended her with the kiss they'd shared in the infirmary that he had failed to see that it just wasn't an appropriate time for them to begin any sort of relationship. Not with everything that was happening.

Sighing softly as they returned to Haven's entrance a short while later, Cullen escorted Olivia to her room at the tower, bending to kiss the top of her hand lightly. When he straightened, he caught sight of the faint blush staining her cheeks, a sight that caused him to smile warmly at her before biding her goodnight and retiring to his own quarters.

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><p>The morning after her walk with Cullen, Olivia woke earlier than usual. Taking care to get dressed and ready to tackle the day's events, she made a decision; one that would likely raise the eyebrows of most who knew her.<p>

Once she was satisfied, she headed down into the War Room, the heels of her boots clicking against the stone floor of the Chantry. Pushing open the doors, she was pleased to see all of her advisors there already, though it didn't surprise her in the least. They were always up at the crack of dawn, a habit that Olivia could never understand.

Clearing her throat, she stepped into the room, effectively silencing a hushed but heated debate. "Ah, good morning." Josephine greeted her warmly, a greeting echoed by Cassandra and Leliana. Cullen absorbed himself in the maps again, not wanting Olivia to see how exhausted he was.

Tossing a worried glance at her commander, Olivia spoke directly to Cassandra. "I'd like to see what the mages have to say." At this, Cullen's head snapped up, his amber eyes flashing dangerously. He opened his mouth to try and dissuade her, but Olivia held up a hand, effectively silencing him for a moment.

"I am not pledging support to either group just yet. All I want to do is see what the mages have to say for themselves. Let them make their case, as it were. The Lord Seeker made his quite clearly in Val Royeaux, so it is only fair that we allot the mages the same courtesy." Olivia crossed her arms as she spoke, leaning her weight back on her right foot slightly.

A short silence filled the room before Cullen spoke, clearing his throat as he straightened his posture. "I think that's a fair assessment. You make a good point; the Lord Seeker had his 15 minutes of glory. I will admit that I am curious to see what the Grand Enchanter has to say."

Olivia's mouth dropped open, and her shocked expression was mirrored on the faces of both Cassandra and Leliana. The two hands of the Divine looked over at the commander with apprehension, making the blonde man sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose and causing Olivia to laugh softly as he spoke. "I am not unreasonable, you know."

Still grinning, Olivia gently reached over and covered one of his hands with her own over the maps for a brief moment, looking at him with an expression of utter gratitude and respect. "Thank you, Cullen. I appreciate you coming to reason."

Withdrawing, she inclined her head towards both Josie and Leliana before turning and exiting the room, Cassandra hot on her heels. "Well that certainly was unexpected." The Nevarran warrior admitted as she fell into step beside Olivia.

"Not really. As he said, Cullen isn't beyond reason. I meant what I said, as well. I'm not pledging my support to either side just yet. I need a clearer picture of what's going on." Olivia muttered as the two women walked out of the Chantry and turned toward Solas' residence. They walked a few paces in silence before Olivia spoke again, the words as cold as the winter air.

"I just hope, for all our sakes, that the uneasy feeling I have is nothing to worry about."

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><p><em>AN: Well, that seems ominous doesn't it? I have a feeling that our party here is going to be right pissed off when they hear of what's happened upon reaching Redcliffe!_

_Please don't forget to favourite, follow, and review! I really enjoy reading what you all have to say! Feel free to toss suggestions my way as well- just be nice about it, is all I ask!_

_See you in the next chapter!_


	9. Champions of the Just

_A/N: After last chapter, I realised that I am somewhat dragging the events of Haven and such out quite a bit more than I would like, so I'm going to speed this along just a little bit more. Not too much faster, but fast enough so that it doesn't feel like we're crawling through this act :)_

_Huge thanks again to Pixie for being such an awesome beta! 3_

_Here we go!_

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><p>"Of all the things they could possibly do, this is the last thing I wanted to hear!" A rather angry set of voices punctuated the silence of the Chantry as the wide double doors flung open, revealing a group whose appearances suggested a rather unwelcome, brutal battle had occurred while they were in Redcliffe to meet the mages.<p>

"Believe me, Snow, there isn't a single worse thing they could of done, I'll admit, but condemning them to that fate is just cruel." Varric argued as he nursed a rather nasty hit to the jaw. "I agree with Varric, Liv." Cassandra interjected, causing both Solas and Varric to turn and look at her with surprise. "What Fiona has done is unforgivable, I know, but we must be able to look past that. We cannot allow Tevinter to indenture all of those people!"

"Enough!" The raven-haired mage whirled around to face her companions. The expression on her youthful face was thunderous, and the newly minted slash along her jaw and across her lip was still bleeding quite profusely. "I don't give a damn – the Divine's corpse is barely cold and all of the southern mages have allied with Tevinter! I will **not** let that stand! I will not associate myself with the bulk of them. Not in this lifetime." Her words were laced with venom, and their ferocity made even Cassandra flinch.

Narrowing her gaze at her companions for a moment, Olivia finally relented, sighing exasperatedly. "I apologise, Cassandra. Lashing out at you is not going to repair the issue." She pushed a hand through her long hair rather haphazardly, turning as she heard the creak of the war room door opening. Her three advisors stepped out, each one wearing a rather serious expression on their face. Well, two of them. Cullen's expression mirrored the one that Olivia had worn mere seconds previously.

"Is it true? Did the mages truly accept an alliance with Tevinter?" Leliana questioned them, her lips turned up into a frown. "Did you expect any different?" Cullen asked quietly, his voice dangerously low. "They took the first offer of help given – it didn't matter where that offer came from. Maker's breath, what a disaster." He pinched his nose as he shook his head, clearly bothered by the news.

"The Templars are still an option, Your Worship." Josephine interjected, stepping forward with a letter extended toward Olivia. Raising an eyebrow, Olivia took the proffered letter. "I thought the Lord Seeker wanted nothing to do with us heretics." Her blue eyes scanned the document thoughtfully as she waited for a response.

"Originally, yes. But he has asked for you – by name." Olivia's head snapped up at the news, her eyes immediately suspicious. "That's surprising, given his response to me in Orlais, Josie. Why the sudden change of heart, I wonder?" She glanced at her companions, each who looked as baffled as she.

"What choice do we have, really?" Cullen asked softly, finally regaining his composure as well as his voice. "None, I'm afraid." Leliana responded, sighing as she looked at Olivia. "If you are intent on talking to the Templars, I will arrange for several noble families to accompany you to Therinfall Redoubt, the new base of operations for the Templars."

"Make it happen." Olivia stated simply, crumpling the letter in her palm and incinerating it angrily. "I still cannot believe this nonsense. I was more than willing to give the mages a sanctuary here in the Inquisition, but they turned to Tevinter of all places." She shook her head. "What a shame."

Turning away from her advisors, she made her way back out of the Chantry, her cloak billowing behind her as she walked. Though she hadn't made any indication of it when the battle was over, she was sporting a rather painful tear of the muscles in her right calf, and the cuts on her face were hurting her something awful. All she wanted at that moment, however, was peace.

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><p>She was injured. His blood had boiled upon seeing the extensive cuts on Olivia's face, and the way she had walked in indicated muscle tears. His annoyance at the rebel mages rose considerably after he saw the damage they had caused her, and the hurt. She had had faith in them, and they had turned to the Imperium for aid. Cullen could scarcely believe it.<p>

While Leliana made the preparations to head to Therinfall, Cullen exited the Chantry in search of Olivia. His concern for her was mounting as he wandered the village, and relief only came when he saw her sitting with Diora and Flissa beneath a tree. Making his way to them, he wondered what he was going to do about his feelings for her. They had only intensified since their last encounter together, and he knew if he didn't do anything about it soon, his chances would shrink.

Clearing his throat as he neared them, he smiled warmly at Diora, causing the small girl to giggle in Olivia's direction. Cocking an eyebrow subtly, he realised why the child was laughing. Colour had flooded Olivia's face at the sound of his voice, and he chuckled softly before kneeling at her side. "Are you alright?" He asked her softly, laying a hand lightly on her shoulder.

He heard her swallow before she dared to look at him, her brilliant blue eyes home to a wide spectrum of emotions. Nodding carefully, she gently lay a hand over his before she rose fluidly. Cullen could tell she immediately regretted the decision from the wince that marred her face, and she stumbled a little. He caught her easily, earning himself a grateful smile that he returned as Olivia took his arm. "Ladies." He bowed his head toward Flissa and Diora, making the smaller girl giggle again.

Grinning wryly, he led Olivia toward the now empty infirmary, intent on patching her up himself if need be. As they walked, he noticed how she held onto him, her fingers absent-mindedly skirting along the length of his forearm, tracing the muscles there. It was a foreign feeling to him, though not at all unwelcome, and he covered her hand with his other after a moment, earning himself a sheepish smile and a murmured apology.

"No need to apologise, Liv." He murmured as he pushed open the door to the infirmary, helping the petite mage settle onto a bed. A grateful sigh escaped her lips, and he chuckled again as he went in search of a poultice.

As Cullen searched for a poultice for her muscles and hopefully something to ease the painful cuts on her face, Olivia looked down at her hands, twining her fingers together as she went over the events of the last few hours. "I wish I had gotten there sooner." She murmured softly, her tone wrought with despair. Cullen felt his heart squeeze painfully, and he looked over at her thoughtfully, his anger at the mages flaring slightly as he did his best to repress it. "Don't blame yourself, Liv."

His words were met with a painfully miserable sigh. "I know I shouldn't, but..." She paused a moment, her eyes fixed on the lacy filigree rings on her fingers. "I wanted to help them. To show that not everyone thinks magic is a curse. To make them see that there is a way for everyone to exist peacefully, with or without a Circle." Another sigh left her lips, and her gaze met Cullen's as he made his way back to her with a couple of bundles of herbs and a salve.

"Why Tevinter, Cullen. Why did they have to ally with those Maker-forsaken Magisters?!" The despair in her voice ripped him apart, and when he was done applying the poultices to her leg, he gently tilted her chin up, ignoring her protests about the cuts.

Tears streaked her bloody cheeks, and her eyes bore ghosts that Cullen knew all too well. "I don't know, Liv. But it is not your fault. You had no idea of the extremes they would go to to get aid." A strangled sob made it's way out of Olivia's throat, and Cullen gathered her to him as she fell apart in front of him. The cuts on her face bled still, but he found himself not bothered by them at all. His sole focus was on comforting her in whatever way he could.

Olivia remained in his arms for several moments after her outburst of tears, and when she was sure she'd regained a bit of her composure, she withdrew. Her eyes were red and glassy still, and there was an angry smear of blood across her face from her cuts. She also noticed that blood splattered the commander's armour, and she grimaced slightly. "Cullen, I-"

She was stopped by a gentle finger at her lips, and her bloodshot eyes flickered up to his concerned gaze. "Don't." he spoke softly, and turned to the task of cleaning the blood off of her face. Despite him being as gentle as he could, she still winced as the warm cloth made contact with her skin. When most of the blood was clear, Cullen gentle applied a salve to the cuts to stem the bleeding and promote healing.

"They'll scar faintly, but they don't look as horrible as they might have seemed when you got them." His reassurance was comforting, and she smiled at him faintly. "Thank you." She murmured softly, unsure of how to show her gratitude. Olivia was sure she came off as ungrateful, which was not the case, but it hurt to show much emotion at all for the moment. "I'm glad to have helped, no matter how menial the task seemed." was Cullen's response.

As the commander went to rise, Olivia reached out to him, pulling him to her for a moment. His protest went unheard as their lips met for the second time, only briefly, and he was left stunned as Olivia made her way out of the infirmary, taking advantage of his momentary lack of motor skills.

Grinning to herself faintly, Olivia made her way back to the Chantry, knowing Leliana and Josephine would have sent their messengers out as soon as she had given the word. All that remained was to wait to hear word from the noble families, which wouldn't take too long.

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><p>A week later, Olivia found herself at the mercy of ten of Orlais' noble families, all of whom were desperate to gain favour with the Inquisition in the hopes of elevating their social status. She had just spent the last twenty minutes entertaining a noble by the name of Abernache; a man who she had, at more than one point on their walk, wanted to punch in the face due to his overwhelmingly pompous nature. She found him even more intolerable than she found Vivienne, which was saying something.<p>

Shaking her head, she made her way into the fortress with her companions, and made pleasantries with the few nobles within before she approached their contact with the Templars, a knight by the name of Barris. The young man was clearly nervous before such a power, and Olivia smiled lightly at him, hoping to ease his nerves.

"Well met, Ser Barris. I celebrate this pairing of the Inquisition and the Templars." She spoke loud enough for the nobles to hear her, and earned several appraising comments and glances as she interacted with the knights.

Abernache, of course, had other plans. He demanded to be let through to see the Lord Seeker, and it was all Olivia could do to not roll her eyes at the audacity. Once inside, however, her nerves began to play up. There was an underwhelming number of Templar knights in the courtyard, and she exchanged worried glances with Cassandra before Barris stopped them a moment.

"The Lord Seeker wishes you to entertain a request before you see him, if you choose to." Olivia raised an eyebrow, but her curiosity got the better of her. "I'm listening, Ser Barris." She looked at the knight kindly, hoping to ease his nerves as well as her own.

"There are three flags here, each one representing a different part of the demographic of Thedas. There is a flag for the people, the Chantry, and the Templars. The Lord Seeker would see the order in which you hold them."

Abernache went to protest, but Olivia shot the man a look so venomous that it instantly silenced him. She caught the grateful looks of her companions and Ser Barris before he continued speaking. "There is no wrong answer; the Lord Seeker is merely curious to see what you will choose. When you are done, speak with me and I will take you to him."

After a moment's deliberation, Olivia agreed to the task, and took several steps toward the cranks for the flags. Instantly, she raised the flag for the people to the highest point, earning a smile from Varric. The people were Olivia's utmost priority; in fact, they were the reason she fought so hard to close the Breach.

Taking a step back, Olivia regarded the other flags carefully before making her selection. Stepping to the centre crank, she turned it to the second highest point. The flag bore the mark of the Chantry, the symbol of the people's faith. The reasoning behind this choice was not because of a staunch belief in the Maker; no, the reason behind this choice was that faith was important. It didn't matter what Olivia believed in – it simply mattered that she believed at all.

When she was satisfied with the choices, she turned and made her way to Ser Barris. When asked why she had raised the flags in that particular order, she simply stated that her reasons were her own. Inclining his head in respect, Barris took them to meet the Lord Seeker.

Or, at least, that's what should have happened.

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><p>Instead of the Lord Seeker, they had been met with a contingent of Templars who looked like they had ingested the Blight sickness themselves, a sight that had turned Olivia's blood to ice. They had murdered Abernache and several of the other, unsuspecting Templar knights mere moments after entering the room. Barris had leaped to defending Olivia and her companions, and had helped them fight through the initial throngs of his corrupted brethren.<p>

They had then begun a chase through the stronghold, fighting off red templars and all manner of demons before they had reached the Lord Seeker at the top of the fortress. He had been standing with his back turned to them, and despite warnings from her group members, Olivia had approached him.

He had grabbed her then, and the two of them had gone tumbling into the Fade. Olivia had suffered some of her worst nightmares in the Fade, including having Cullen's throat slit in front of her. She had cried out then, her anger surfacing. The demon had just laughed at her, and had tortured her through several levels of puzzles. Thankfully, Olivia had met a rather helpful spirit named Cole while there, and together they had outwitted the demon, whose name was Envy, according to Cole.

Now, Barris held the Great Hall with several other templars as Olivia went hunting for the veteran Templar officers – the last uncorrupted leaders of the order – as well the uncorrupted lyrium stores. While she was there, she was instructed to destroy whatever remained of the red lyrium stores, a task she was only too happy to complete.

Varric cursed every time he saw a Red Templar, and shot off round after round into them, happy to rid the world of another corrupted being as well as putting the templars out of their misery. Cassandra was silent as they fought through the stronghold, but Olivia could feel the rage that rolled off of the Nevarran warrior in waves. Her anger was justified, Olivia knew, and it helped the Seeker fight with renewed purpose and vigour.

Solas was unusually quiet, but Olivia could feel him pulling on the Veil, gaining the insights of their spirit companions as they made their way through the keep. The guidance from the Fade was instrumental in assisting them in finding further evidence of The Elder One's plans, as well as causing them to stumble on the body of the Knight-Vigilant.

The discovery of the his body had Cassandra in an uproar, and Olivia's blood had boiled at the sight of the poor man's mangled corpse. Clenching her hands hard enough to break skin, she turned and headed back into the courtyard. A group of red templars had been attempting to sneak up on the group, and Olivia's anger gave way to power.

She drew on the core of her power, no doubt alerting every magical adept being in the area to what she was about to do, but she found she didn't care. When she'd gathered enough power, she slammed her staff into the ground, a very powerful blast of icy wind emitting from it as tendrils of ice began to assault every templar in the vicinity. It was not a spell that most mages knew, and Cassandra shouted in alarm.

Solas threw out an arm to stop her from interceding, both he and Varric watching in fascination as Olivia wound the tendrils of ice through the keep, seeking those templars who had hid in desperation or fear.

Cassandra voice a concern for the templars in the area who were uncorrupted, but she need not have worried. Olivia's sole targets were templars with corrupted blood. When her task was complete, she opened her eyes, the colour having gone bone white, eliciting a gasp from the seeker.

A very sinister smile played onto Olivia's face for a moment before she wrenched the staff upwards and flung her arm out to the left, crouched like a cat. As she did, every templar in the grasp of the icy tendrils cried out in terror before they were ripped apart.

Blood and ice chips coated the central courtyard of the stronghold, and Olivia rose after a moment, weakened by the power she'd used. She had drawn on the spirits in the veil for guidance, and it was a spirit of compassion who kept her standing even now. Solas acknowledged the spirit with a friendly word before he took Olivia's arm, leading her toward the Grand Hall.

The sight within the hall was a welcome one; red templar bodies littered the floor, the knights having formed a shield wall in the centre of the hall. With a pang of remorse, Olivia noticed that a couple of them had perished. Barris was unhurt, thankfully, and she said a quick prayer for those they had lost before she stepped back, allowing the templars to barricade themselves in front of the barriers, channelling a very powerful dispel with the aid of the uncorrupted lyrium she had found.

After a few moments, the barrier shattered, and Olivia barrelled out of the hall in pursuit of Envy. When she came face to face with the miserable creature, she gave it no time to speak, electing instead to fling a very well-timed Winter's Grasp in the demon's face.

Enraged, Envy attacked without mercy or thought, making it incredibly easy for the group to outmanoeuvre it. The demon was so obsessed with becoming Olivia that it made critical errors, allowing both Varric and Solas to channel some very powerful abilities into it. Cassandra did what she could to garner all of the demon's attention, but since it was fixated on Olivia, there was little the warrior could do.

With a roar, Envy erected a barrier to hide behind, summoning wave after wave of Red Templars in a vain attempt to tire the party out. Clever placements of blizzards and volleys made short work of the corrupted knights, and eventually, Envy was forced to re-enter the fight.

Using the last of it's strength, the demon lashed out at Olivia, claws catching at her left shoulder and raking across her chest until they ran out of skin to flay. She bit the inside of her cheek to quell the scream of agony that threatened, and instead channelled the last ounce of strength she had into annihilating the vile creature. The demon died violently, and upon seeing that their foe was vanquished, Olivia collapsed with only one thought at the forefront of her mind.

_Cullen...Forgive me..._

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><p><em>AN: WHEW! What a chapter! By far the most action-packed chapter thus far, I believe, even with all the sappy nonsense at the beginning :p This was definitely my favourite mission to go through – though, admittedly, In Hushed Whispers was also amazing! Let me know your favourite in the reviews!_

_Don't forget to favourite, follow, and review! Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me so far! _

_See you in the next chapter!_


	10. Her Heart Will Burn

_A/N: To address some concerns regarding the last chapter – yes, I am aware that no spell like the one Olivia used in the courtyard exists in-game, though I wish it did. However, I am exerting a little creative freedom here while still sticking loosely to the canon. If this is something that troubles you, I apologise._

_To everyone who left a review – thank you so much! You guys have no idea how much it means to me to have loyal readers like yourselves :) I hope I continue to keep you all enthralled with this story!_

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><p>It had taken seven of their twelve poultices, two revival spells, and several draughts of water punctuate with some lyrium to bring Olivia back from the brink of death. Her companions had worked tirelessly with the templars for several hours before she had even shown a sign of waking, and it had taken hours still from that first sign for her to fully regain consciousness.<p>

Upon sitting up, she was greeted by several cheers from the Templar Order as well as hugs from her companions, including a very angrily relieved Cassandra, who immediately chided her for causing more worry than was necessary. Olivia laughed softly, hugging her close friend tightly, apologising for worrying her. Varric had thumped her on the back lightly, scolding her as well, but in a good-natured, jesting sort of way. Solas had remained quiet as usual, but the two shared a mutual understanding of what had happened, so there was no need for words.

Olivia rose gingerly, mindful of her newly bandaged wounds, and faced Ser Barris and the remaining Templars with conviction. She looked at each of their faces, committing them to memory as Ser Barris asked what she intended to do with the Order. As Olivia saw it, she had two options. She could either disband the templars and have them join the Inquisition as mercenaries of sorts, or she could keep the core of the Order intact and recruit them as a whole.

After a careful moment of deliberation, she spoke. "Templars, I won't lie to you – the people are terrified. But that-" She turned, pointing at the Breach, "-is our **true** enemy. I need you all to band together to defeat this evil force that threatens Thedas. I need you to work together, as one being. Trust in your comrades to have your back, as they will trust you to have theirs. A Templar **knows** their duty. It is not something you teach. Remember this moment, for it is you who will shape the fate of this world. It is you who will stand beside me, **together!**"

The answering roar she got from the soldiers was deafening, and they each dropped to one knee, crossing an arm over their chest and bowing their heads in respect to her. Barris was the first to speak once the cheering had died down. "You have our shields, Herald. We will have your back, as one." Olivia smiled, crossing her arm carefully over her chest. "I am glad to have you all with me. Let us make haste. Together, we will finish this."

The mage walked through the ranks of templar knights, nodding at each soldier as she did. Following closely behind her was her companions, broad smiles on each of their faces. Pride swelled within Cassandra as she followed Olivia; she knew then that she would gladly follow the mage into the pits of hell itself.

Varric was already working on a story in his head, and knew that he was going to pen her speech, word for word, into it. Normally, he didn't bother trying to remember extraneous details to the letter, but this was something he didn't want to get wrong. He had been through his shares of adventure in recent years, but he had never thought that he would live to see what had just transpired. The moment when a mage would shake the fortunes of the world.

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><p>Several days later, Olivia stood before the gates of Haven, a lookout having alerted the village to her presence. Behind her stood a few hundred Templar soldiers eager to right their wrongs and earn the trust of the world once more.<p>

Olivia still looked worse for wear, though there was little that could have been done about it in the field. Her robes were torn beyond repair, held together by clever stitches and some bandages, and her arm was strapped and slung comfortably, resting just above her waistline. The entire contingent of men and women that stood before Haven's mouth were covered in blood and bruises, though the four of them at the front were the worst of them all.

As Olivia watched, the gates of Haven opened, and a very relieved Josephine and Leliana appeared, along with several of the village residents. However, one person she had expected to see was not present. Not yet, at least. Cassandra and Varric grinned wryly at her worried expression as Solas chuckled, earning each of them a glare. Leliana and Josephine also found it amusing, but they pushed the gates open further to reveal a sight that had Olivia gaping.

Cullen stood, arms crossed, in front of a group of no more than thirty mages. When his gaze came upon Olivia's roughed up form, he frowned slightly, but the frown quickly turned to a rueful smile as Olivia gaped at the group. Walking toward her, he signalled for the mages to follow.

"What's all this?" Olivia managed to ask as she looked at the mages, several of the templars behind her tensing slightly. She held out her good hand to them, hoping to ease their nerves slightly as she addressed them. "I wasn't expecting to see any of the rebel mages here."

"Your Worship, we are the mages within the rebels who opposed the dissolving of the Circles. We hid when Fiona came looking for us." A young, red-haired male began, twisting his hands nervously. When Olivia didn't object to him speaking, he continued. "This war is unnecessary! We were fine in the Circles! We could practice our magic without fear, we were taught well." Echoed agreements emerged from the mages, and the templars behind Olivia relaxed.

"I will not lie; it seems suspicious that you come to us now. However-" Olivia held up a hand as protests began, "- I will not turn away your assistance. We need loyal members of this Inquisition, and your magic will prove very useful in the time to come." She smiled warmly at the mages, and turned to her companions.

"Will you see to it that everyone gets settled in alright? I have some things to discuss with the advisors." Cassandra inclined her head in acknowledgement before she led the templars and mages back into the village, telling Leliana and Josephine to meet with Cullen and Olivia in the war room.

Sighing softly, Olivia walked toward the Chantry at the side of her commander, not speaking just yet. She was still reeling from the shock of seeing Cullen standing in front of so many mages, as well as still recovering from her less-than-ideal battle with the Envy demon. She was so immersed in her thoughts that she almost didn't hear him speak.

"Are you alright? What happened?" The tone of his voice suggested that he had spent the better part of her absence worried sick about her safety, and she smiled faintly, glancing over at him. "I had a very unfortunate account with a demon I was not overly familiar with. I have only ever heard of it in horror stories told by the most senior of enchanters at the Ostwick Circle, so I was not prepared to face it in reality."

One of his eyebrows raised as they entered the Chantry, and as they approached Leliana and Josephine, his curiosity got the better of him. "What kind of demon, Liv?" From the way her eyes darkened at the question, he was afraid of the answer.

Inhaling deeply, Olivia looked at him first before the others, taking a moment to answer. "It was an Envy demon." Cullen inhaled sharply, his blood turning to ice. Envy demons were horrendous to deal with, praying on a person's deepest, darkest desires and twisting them to suit their needs. "Maker..." he managed to breath, Leliana and Josephine looking between the two with concerned expressions.

"It has been dealt with, however. I made sure that I destroyed every bit of that vile creature." Olivia added quietly, a claim that was supported by Cassandra as she entered. "It is true. Now all that is left is to close the Breach. The mages and templars await your orders, Herald." Olivia blanched at the use of her title, but made no effort to correct the warrior; a testament to how exhausted she was.

However, to the alarm of almost everyone, Olivia straightened her posture. "Let's get this over with. I want that blasted thing closed. Once it is, I'm sleeping for a month." Wry grins split the faces of everyone present, and Olivia shrugged before heading back out into the village, intent on rounding up all of their companions before heading down to the temple.

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><p>It took less than an hour to reach the Temple of Sacred Ashes, a fact Olivia was grateful for, as she would not have been able to handle a trip any longer in her condition. As Cassandra and Leliana positioned the Inquisition forces and spies, Cullen worked closely with Ser Barris in positioning the templars and mages so that the full force of their power would be unhindered.<p>

Olivia herself stared at the rift, almost as if daring it to lash out at her again. She was still angry about everything; the Divine's death, the mark on her hand, the mages with Tevinter. She was beyond angry about the envy demon taking control of the Templars. Gritting her teeth, she turned toward Cassandra, who nodded once she was in position.

Drawing in a breath, Olivia pulled on her own magic first to channel into the mark on her hand, and held her hand out toward the rift, leashing it with the mark. Behind her, she heard Cullen's command to the templars followed by the ringing of swords as they were thrust into the ground.

She could feel the Breach weakening slightly, but she still needed more power. Cullen's next command had the mages follow the Templar's lead, thrusting their staves into the ground and lending their power to Olivia. The surge was euphoric almost, and it was all she could do to direct the flow of power into the mark.

Seconds passed, then minutes. Before she knew it, a blinding flash of light engulfed the area, followed by an explosion of magic. She braced herself as everyone else was knocked on their ass, but her weakened state made it hard to hold herself up. She stumbled slightly, catching herself on one knee as she held herself up against the forces of gravity.

Olivia heard both Cullen and Cassandra call out to her, and she weakly called back to alert them to where she was. Both of them reached her at the same time, and helped haul her to her feet. She was met with a glorious sight: the Breach was sealed, the only indication it had ever been there a simple scar in the heavens. The temple ruins rumbled as the cheering began, everyone in the vicinity beyond relieved that the Breach had been closed.

Turning toward everyone, Olivia came face to face with a grateful crowd, and bowed toward them slightly, eliciting more cheering before Cullen and Cassandra helped her back toward Haven, their forces following.

News of their victory at the temple preceded them, and as they approached Haven, villagers poured from the exit, hailing her as their saviour. Olivia, ever the modest mage, tried to play it off casually, but her admirers would have none of it. They praised her, hugged her carefully, and thanked her profusely for her efforts at the temple.

To relieve everyone's stresses slightly as well as to celebrate their victory, Olivia threw a huge party for the entire village. Wine, ale, food, and music were in abundance. She herself, however, made her presence scarce as she tried to recover from her extensive injuries. The bandages had been removed earlier, and Olivia had blanched at the sight of the wounds.

They were jagged and horrendous looking, and there was no magic on Thedas that could prevent them from scarring. She had bitten her lip as she looked at them, smearing salve on them. The scars extended from her left shoulder to just below her right breast. Thankfully, they hadn't wreaked too much havoc on her, missing vital ligaments and muscle groups as well as passing harmlessly over her heart, but they were still unsightly.

She was still bitter about them, and had successfully convinced herself that there was no way in hell that Cullen could ever look past the scars, if their relationship ever would progress that far. She had spent an hour curled up in bed, crying over losing something that she wasn't even sure was ever established. However, when she had managed to stop feeling sorry for herself, she had headed down into the Chantry, where she remained even still.

She knelt before the statue of Andraste, head bowed and hands clasped tightly in front of her. Her long, raven hair tumbled over her shoulders, disguising the worst of her injuries. She had been gifted a new set of armour by the tailors and leather-workers in Haven, something she treasured. It was a set that looked very similar to her old set, but was reinforced with metal, like Leliana's. The cloth was in hues of deep sapphire blue, whereas the leather was a wonderful mixture of amber tones, and it fit her beautifully. Olivia had been unable to express how grateful she was for the generous gift.

As she prayed, she heard a bell toll, followed by panicked cries from outside the Chantry. Rising rapidly, she walked out into the village, her heart racing as she heard the words Cullen was shouting. "One lookout reporting! Massive forces approaching the village! Arm yourselves and get to the gates!"

Hissing a curse beneath her breath, she raced upstairs to grab her pack and her staff, stuffing everything she usually carried into the bag before she headed for the gates. When she got there, she heard Josephine ask, "What banner are they marching under?" Cullen's answer turned her stomach. "None."

"None?!" came the alarmed cry from both the ambassador and Leliana, but they were interrupted by a loud crashing against the gate, followed by a "Could someone **please** open this blasted gate? It would be appreciated!" Recognising the cry almost instantly, she pushed the gates open to reveal a blood-splattered Dorian, the mage who had warned her against the Tevinter magisters.

"Dorian!" She cried, rushing to him and kneeling at his side, offering both a lyrium potion and a poultice, which he took gratefully. "Hello Herald. I came to warn you, though it appears I was beaten just a little bit." The mage looked ruefully over her shoulder at the massive force heading their way. "The Elder One has sent the mages to destroy you. The woman up there? That's Calpernia, his apprentice of sorts."

Olivia glanced in the direction Dorian was pointing, catching sight of a blonde woman atop the hill. "And that next to her? That's the Elder One." As she watched, a creature unlike anything she had ever seen walked up next to Calpernia. Her blood boiled at the sight of the person responsible for so much senseless slaughter.

"What does he want." She hissed angrily, turning to Cullen. "Get the trebuchets manned! I'll keep them guarded for as long as we can. We're going to bring down the mountain." She motioned to the mountain just to their east. Cullen nodded, barking orders at soldiers as Olivia and her companions took up arms to combat the mages.

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><p>It took almost all their strength, but they managed to bury the mages beneath the snow. Their victory, however, was short lived as a dragon-like creature appeared from within the snow, blasting the trebuchet that they had just fired. Olivia cried out as several of their soldiers were crushed beneath the rubble, and grit her teeth before ordering everyone back to Haven's gates.<p>

Once within the village, Cullen instructed her to save as many people as she could, a task she set to doing diligently. However, as they went around battling Tevinter mages and red templars alike, Olivia became violently aware of something. The scene unfolding before her was identical to the nightmare she had had not three months previously. All colour drained from her face.

"Liv! Let's go!" The voice of Cassandra broke her from her trance, and she bolted for the inn, knowing what was about to happen. She wouldn't let it. She busted the door down with the aid of Cassandra, and wrenched both Flissa and Diora from the building just as a blast of fire from the dragon engulfed the building.

Ushering the two toward the Chantry with three of the soldiers, Olivia went around saving everyone else she could, which was thankfully almost everyone. The only person she could not get to was Seggrit, and she offered a prayer to the Maker as his home was buried in flame.

Shaking her head angrily, she headed toward the Chantry with everyone she'd saved, where she was met with Cullen, Dorian, and to her surprise, Chancellor Roderick, someone who had vehemently opposed her. "Brave man." Dorian spoke up quietly, setting him in a chair. "Faced down a Tevinter mage with little more than a dagger."

"Foolish, more like." The chancellor breathed out, leaning back in the chair to catch his breath. Cullen glanced over at Olivia with concern as he spoke, "There's no way we can survive this. Haven wasn't meant to withstand an attack like this. Any time we might have bought with the avalanche was stolen by the dragon. We'll have to turn to last of the trebuchets on the mountains above us."

Olivia stared at him. "If we do that, we will bury Haven. There's no chance of us surviving that." Cullen's expression was grim. "At least we'd get to choose our death. Not everyone gets that." Olivia shook her head in dismay, and was so overwhelmed that she almost didn't hear Roderick speak.

"There is a path. You wouldn't know it unless you had taken the summer pilgrimage, as I have." He coughed slightly. "Funny...I never meant to start. It was so overgrown..." Another cough wracked his body, and Olivia turned to Cullen. "What do you think?" The commander gazed at her thoughtfully. "It could work. He would need to show us the path."

Olivia looked between the men, and nodded. "Chancellor, show them the way." Dorian helped the man up with Cullen's aid, and the two of them headed toward the back of the Chantry as Cullen ordered everyone to follow them. He turned to Olivia then, and his eyes were full of dread.

"What of your escape?" he asked her, not really wanting to hear the answer. A sad smile played onto her face before she spoke softly, "I would gladly give my life to save the lives of everyone here." Cullen shook his head slightly before speaking again. "Wait for us to get over the tree line before you fire the trebuchet. You'll have to aim it. If you want us to have any hope of surviving, Olivia, let that **thing** hear you." He turned from her then, his heart shattering into pieces as he ran after the villagers, disappearing from her sight.

Biting her lip, Olivia turned to her companions. "Let's go." Met with nods, she headed out into the village, and the group fought their way to the last of the trebuchets. Groaning softly when she realised she would have to crank it all the way around, she rubbed her neck.

"Alright, here's what we're going to do; Varric, stay beside me and pick off any stragglers that start heading my way. Solas, make sure that you are defending Cassandra at all times. Keep barriers up. I will assist where I can, when I'm not trying to aim this thing." Turning once she was sure that everyone knew their role, she began to turn the crank on the wheel, spinning the trebuchet around slowly.

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><p>When she had the trebuchet in position, Grand Enchanter Fiona showed her face, making Olivia's blood boil. Without even waiting for an explanation as to why they had allied with Tevinter, Olivia ordered her companions to attack.<p>

The battle with Fiona was long and bloody, but they were successful. Once the trebuchet was armed, Olivia sent her companions toward safety. Cassandra refused at first, but one look at the mage's face had her running after Solas and Varric, both of whom had told Olivia to be careful.

Once her companions were out of sight, Olivia turned her attention to the dragon, firing off a couple of spells in it's direction as well as extending her marked hand toward it. At first, she wasn't sure it had worked, but a moment later, she was met with a rather powerful spell that knocked her on her back. When she rose, she found herself face to face with The Elder One, his pet dragon blocking any escape attempt she might have tried.

Narrowing her eyes, she squared her shoulders against the hideous creature before her. "Who are you, and what do you want." She commanded, her hands holding her staff defensively. The creature laughed at her then. "I am Corypheus. I have come to retrieve what is rightfully mine. Something that you stole from me." Olivia's eyebrows raised as he held out an orb, her curiosity heightened. "And what exactly did I steal from you?" She spat, her anger flaring.

"The Anchor." was the reply she was met with before Corypheus extended his hand toward her, pulling on the mark. "This was to be mine! You stole it from me when your meddling self happened upon my plan at the temple. You interrupted a ritual years in the making, stealing the power for yourself and undoing all of my work. The gall."

Olivia scoffed at him. "This mark was given to me by Andraste! She saved my life!" Her declaration only served to amuse him, however. "Then your lady must have bade me here solely to end your life." He strode over to her, grabbing her by the wrist and hoisting her up.

His action caused the wounds at her shoulder to tear open, making her gasp with pain as she struggled in his grasp. "No matter. I will simply find another way into the fade. But know this – I have looked upon the seat at the centre of Golden City. I have laid eyes on the throne, and it was **empty.**" A sinister grin spread across his face before he threw her into the trebuchet, knocking the wind from her.

However, Olivia was not about to give up. She reached for the sword next to her, brandishing it at him. This only served to enrage him, and he began to advance toward her. As he did, she saw the sign she'd been looking for.

Grinning widely, she hissed, "You have talked long enough. There may be a day where we meet again, there may even be a day where you claim my life for your own. But it is not today." She punctuated the last word by kicking the trebuchet's firing mechanism, sending the projectile hurtling into the mountain.

Corypheus stared in disbelief, and Liv took advantage of his distraction, hurling herself off of the platform and beginning to run, hoping beyond hope that she would survive. As the avalanche caught up to her, she fell into a boarded up tunnel, knocking the wind out of herself again.

Unsure if she had successfully finished Corypheus, she began to make her way through the tunnels once she had regained footing as well as her breath, shivering at the sheer amount of chill present. As she walked, she felt a strange sensation in her marked hand. Looking down at it, the colour had changed slightly, and it was now surrounded by three curved lines that almost appeared like power gauges.

Shaking her head, Olivia managed to get herself out of the passageway and out into the snow covered mountains. Though she had no idea where she was, she figured she'd keep walking as far as she could in hopes of catching up to the rest of the villagers. This proved to be a harder task than she had originally thought.

The mountain air was frigid, and the rapidly increasing depth of the snow was making it harder for her to walk. Still, she pushed forward, praying with every step that everyone had survived. Her thoughts immediately went to Cullen and the look of sheer despair that had played onto his face when she had told him that she was willing to die for him. It was true, however. She would give her life a thousand times over for any one of the villagers.

Gritting her teeth with renewed determination, Olivia trudged through the knee-deep snow, eventually coming across an extinguished fire. "Embers? Recent?" She spoke aloud, looking around desperately before she continued her trek through the snow. As she rounded the corner of the rocks before her, her eyes landed on a crudely constructed camp site. They had survived.

As she took another step, she became vaguely aware of a familiar voice. "It's her! Olivia!" Relief flooded her, and she felt her knees buckle and give way as her consciousness finally faded. The last thing she was aware of before she completely blacked out was the feeling of a fur-lined cloak and strong, warm arms cradling her as her companions breathed their relief at her survival.

_Thank the Maker...I'm home..._

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><p><em>AN: And there we have it! We're finally out of Haven and our way to Skyhold! Thank you to everyone who has stuck it out with me so far! I apologise if this chapter is a little anticlimactic – I always thought Corypheus was full of hot air, so I wanted to make him shut up earlier, haha!_

_Don't forget to favourite, follow, and review! I really like hearing what you all have to say! _

_See you next chapter!_


	11. Confessions

_A/N: Hello lovelies! We're back with more instalments for Pretender! (by 'we', I mean myself and Pixie, my beta 3) I'm really glad to be out of Haven with this story, to be honest; it felt like it was dragging, so I put my foot on the gas!_

_Here is where the story will deviate slightly from the canon, but I will not be colouring too far outside of the lines, I promise! Also – I am still accepting cover/fan-art for this fanfic, so feel free to splatter my inbox with drawings! If you need more details, feel free to ask! :)_

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><p>Olivia had been out of consciousness for several hours since Cullen, Cassandra, and Solas had found her struggling through the snow toward the makeshift camp, and in that time Cullen had never once let go of her. His arms had cradled her against his chest as the three had made their way to the infirmary tent with Olivia, shouts of "She made it!" and "The Herald is alive!" echoing around the camp rather quickly.<p>

Varric had breathed a huge sigh of relief, as had Leliana and Josephine, when they saw the small group duck into the tent, Olivia's custom equipment giving her away easily to any who were observant enough to notice.. Vivienne had been nonplussed, while Sera and Iron Bull had high-fived before going back to whatever they'd been doing before the ruckus surrounding Olivia's return began.

Now, nine hours later, Cullen still sat with Olivia cradled against his chest, hoping that his body heat would speed up her recovery as Solas had suggested he do. Cassandra had shot him a glance that spoke volumes about what she knew regarding the two of them, but Cullen had been too engrossed in caring for Olivia to care what the Seeker thought about their relationship, if it could even be called such.

Sighing softly, the commander tucked a stray piece of raven coloured hair behind Olivia's ear, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as she fidgeted at his touch. It meant she was vaguely aware of what was going on around her, though she was still not in a state fit enough to wake. Solas had warned him that it could take anywhere between an hour and a day for her to fully recover, and Cullen fully intended to sit with her the entire time.

Realising one of his legs had gone numb a while ago from how he was holding Olivia, he shifted slightly, hissing out a curse beneath his breath as blood rushed back into the limb. It felt like being stabbed with thousands of tiny blades, but he pushed his discomfort aside. It was nothing compared to the hell Olivia had been through to get to them, and his smile brightened slightly as he remembered her rounding the corner just before she'd collapsed.

"It's nice to see a smile on your usually grim face, Curly." came Varric's familiar sarcastic tone from the doorway of the tent. Usually, Cullen would have dignified Varric's quip with a deflecting comment, but he knew the dwarf was right. He had a reason to smile, and had no intentions of hiding it. "Yes, well. Things change, don't they?" He responded quietly with a wry glance over at the dwarf. Cullen found Varric grinning at him like a cheshire cat, and realisation dawned on the commander as to what would give the rogue reason to grin like that.

"You were awake that night in the infirmary, after the explosion in Liv's tower." His voice was low, but lacked its usually accusatory undertone. It was more of a statement than a question, at any rate. His answer came in the form of an even wider smile and a low chuckle. "I was, but I haven't divulged that information to anyone." Cullen sighed softly in relief and turned back to Olivia. "Yet."

A groan escaped Cullen as he threw Varric a threatening glare which the dwarf only laughed at for a moment before he sobered, looking at the sleeping mage the commander still cradled. "Any change since you brought her in here?" Cullen could hear the concern in Varric's voice, and worry lines creased the storyteller's forehead.

"She has stirred here and there, but Solas has mentioned that it's common. I have a feeling that she is aware of what's going on around her, though, despite what Solas says. Liv is incredibly strong, and gifted." Cullen responded quietly, bringing the hand that wasn't supporting her up to his head, rubbing his neck lightly. If he had not looked down at that particular moment, he would have missed the fluttering of eyelashes as Olivia's brilliant blue orbs finally emerged from behind closed eyelids.

Cullen bit the inside of his lip as he gently brought his hand back down to rest at her cheek, that same small smile from earlier tugging at his mouth. "Welcome back." he spoke softly, and Varric went to respond with one of his usual jabs of sarcasm when he realised Cullen was speaking to a now-awake Olivia.

"Andraste's ass, finally." Varric breathed, rubbing his neck a little. "Thought you'd never come to, Snow. Had the entire camp in an uproar when we showed up without you behind us." Olivia cracked a smile as she tested her muscles and joints, wincing as she moved her left arm.

"Careful- you cracked that arm pretty good. Solas did a hell of a job setting it for you, but it needs time." Varric admonished gently, stepping back as Cullen shifted to let her be more comfortable. Olivia had realised where she was laying almost immediately, but she spoke nothing of it as she struggled to sit up.

"Nice to see you too, Varric." Olivia croaked softly, her throat dry. Without batting an eye, Cullen handed her a water skin, from which she drank gratefully before handing it back to him. "Hope I haven't missed anything while I've been out."

"Oh no, nothing really. Just Ruffles and Nightingale getting into spats with the Seeker, Solas tending to you, Curly professing his-" the dwarf's next comment was silenced by the arrival of another of their party members.

"Varric, you're late to the meeting, and Leliana-" Cassandra's voice filtered into the tent before it halted, the Seeker having laid eyes on her closest friend. A strangled sound escaped the warrior's throat before she cleared it, and Varric swore he saw a couple of tears race down the Seeker's cheeks. She had taken it the hardest, and of the entire camp, had prayed the most for Olivia's return.

Olivia saw the raw emotion play over Cassandra's face as the Seeker came into view, and a guilty expression made it's way onto her face. "Cassandra, I-"

"Don't." came the strangled voice of the Nevarran warrior before she walked over to Olivia and engulfed her in a hug, being careful so as not to injure her further. Varric and Cullen shared a grin behind their backs, though Olivia saw it and shot a look of her own at them as she comforted her friend.

"I'm alright, Cass. I'm stubborn, remember?" She withdrew from the trembling Seeker's embrace after a moment, grinning slyly as Cassandra rubbed her face. "Yes, well, I also remember the promise you made me. A promise you've broken several times since making it, in fact." The warrior quipped dryly, making Varric, Cullen, and Olivia laugh softly.

"I'll make it up to you, I swear. You and Varric are needed out there; I'll be okay here. I'm not going anywhere soon." Olivia swore, rubbing her left arm a little in discomfort. She took solace in knowing that her friends had been concerned for her safety, however; it made struggling through miles of snow to get to them worth the pain.

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><p>She watched quietly as Varric led the still-shaken Seeker from the infirmary tent before she risked a glance at Cullen. Olivia found the flaxen-haired commander watching her carefully, his molten amber eyes full of questions.<p>

Biting her lip softly, she spoke. "It's alright, just ask. You need not be afraid of offending me; I can almost guarantee that our colleagues have asked worse questions." Olivia's humour had the commander cracking a wry smile before he sobered. "I know. It's just- I'm not entirely sure where to start. There's a lot of questions."

Olivia laughed softly. "Well, how about I start then?" When her question was met with curious silence, she motioned to their position. "This is a hell of a way to wake up." Cullen's furious blush made her laugh again, and she patted his chest playfully. "I meant that in a positive way, Commander." she added after a moment, as Cullen's colouring still had not returned to normal.

"R-right." he stammered, pushing a hand through his hair nervously. "Can I ask you what was going through your head in the Chantry? Before you went storming out of the doors to face Maker knows what and I led the villagers along the path?"

Olivia frowned slightly at the memory, and he went to reassure her quickly before she held a hand up to silence him. "I kept asking myself if I had any regrets." She began slowly, thinking about the question quite thoroughly before she answered. "If I was content at all to leave this life. What my family would think of me. And my friends." She added, looking down at her hands.

"And...what was the answer?" Cullen questioned softly, watching her through concerned eyes. "The answer, my dear commander, was that I was not content. Not at all. I still had things I wanted to see, places I wanted to go. I had some things to clarify." Olivia looked at him with a knowing smile. "I had questions I wanted answered."

Cullen nodded thoughtfully as he shifted a little to remain comfortable. When Olivia made to get off of his lap to ease the weight on his legs, he braced his arms and stopped her. "What did you say to the Elder One?" He asked, effectively stilling her.

"I told him he was an arrogant ass, and that he would not take me before I destroyed his plans." Olivia answered flatly, which made Cullen grin a little bit. Her stubborn nature had likely irked the creature. "I take it he wasn't pleased, then." He watched a ghostly smile dance over Olivia's mouth.

"I never gave the bastard a chance to answer. I saw the flare and launched the trebuchet. Once it was clear, I bolted as fast as I could. I have no idea why I thought I could outrun an avalanche; lucky for me, one of the underground passage coverings had broken, and I fell into it. Of course, I was buried with snow not ten seconds later." The look of utter outrage on Olivia's face had Cullen chuckling, and he quickly stifled the sound as she pouted at him.

"What went through your head when you realised you were still alive?" Cullen pressed, curious as to her thought process on her trek through the mountains.

"'Maker's balls, it's freezing!' Aside from that, I just told myself to keep going. I had to get out of those tunnels, to make it to the Inquisition camp." Her voice faltered a little, and she added softly, "I had to get to you."

Cullen, who had been grinning like an idiot at her proclamation, fell silent the instant she told him that she had been trying to get to him. Biting the inside of his cheek, he let the silence linger for a moment before speaking, but Olivia beat him to it.

"I couldn't leave things the way they were." She whispered, stammering a little bit as she continued to look down at her hands. "Too many unanswered questions. I feel guilty knowing that it wasn't what I could do for the people of Thedas that kept me going." She looked up at him then, and the amount of raw emotion in her bright blue eyes cut him to the core. "It was the thought of never seeing you again."

A sigh shuddered through her as she looked down at her hands, twining her fingers together absent-mindedly and occasionally playing with one of the silver filigree rings that graced her long, slender fingers. "I couldn't do that to myself. I fought myself every step out of those doors at the Chantry. I almost bolted back to you. Ever since that first meeting, down in front of the temple, I-" Olivia faltered, looking up at him once more. The expression on her face was one of desperation and frustration with her ineptitude for getting the words out.

Cullen smiled faintly before he bent forward slightly and rest his forehead against hers, hopefully quelling any fears she might still have with a simple gesture. He felt Olivia stiffen for a moment before she relaxed against him. "And here I was, nervous about how to admit how I felt about you. More the fool I, hmm?"

A quiet laugh bubbled up from Olivia, and she shook her head slightly. "People will talk, you know." At this statement, Cullen sat up straight and burst into laughter. "Oh, let them talk. They could use something other than doom and the end of the world to gab about, at any rate."

Olivia grinned wryly and settled back into Cullen's embrace, relishing the smell of ivory and leather that seemed to constantly surround him. "Sounds like a plan, Commander."

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><p><em>AN: Ta-da! Mushiness abound! :p They're too cute! I can't stand it! I know, I know – technically your romance with Cullen doesn't REALLY kick off until Skyhold and blah blah blah, but I couldn't wait that long. It drives me bananas every time I play through the game! (I'm not obsessed with Cullen's romance storyline, oh no. Not at all. :3)_

_Please remember to fave, follow, and review if you like what you've been reading thus far! I'm super excited to begin Act II of this fic with you all! Thanks for sticking it out this far with me!_

_See you in the next chapter!_


	12. Leaders and Followers

_A/N: Alrighty! What a fluffy last chapter, hmm? :p We needed it though, especially after several heavier ones! Thank you to all who favourited, followed, and left a review – I really enjoy hearing from you all! _

_I am still accepting cover/fan art for this fic, so please feel free to flood my inbox with shiny things! If you'd like more details about what Olivia looks like, feel free to ask me! 3_

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><p>The nights following the fall of Haven were rough on the Inquisition's forces, and it was all Olivia could do to remain positive about their predicament. They had lost several soldiers to frostbite the first night they'd camped in the Frostbacks; another had died of hypothermia. Almost half of their soldiers were suffering minor wounds, and almost all were dealing with post-traumatic stress as they tried to cope with the losses they had suffered.<p>

Olivia had spoke with Solas the second night the Inquisition spent in the mountains, having decided that they needed to move on. They couldn't plan on closing the Breach while still in the mountains, and the advisors had gotten into several spats over what to do next. Their worst one had occurred not 4 hours after Olivia had woken, and had left a considerable rift between the 5 leaders.

Solas had approached her then, and asked to speak with her privately. Exasperated, Olivia agreed to a conversation, though admittedly all she had wanted to do was be alone for a time in order to wrap her head around everything.

The two mages had met by a veilfire torch some distance away, erected as a makeshift monument that drove home the events they had endured. Olivia had immediately regretted being so bitter when there were more pressing matters at hand, and Solas waited patiently for her to speak first. When she had, he offered a reasurring smile.

He had also told her that there was a place in the mountains, quite a distance from their current location, that would make a suitable home for the new Inquisition; an Inquisition more determined than ever to close the Breach and restore order to a chaotic and divided Thedas.

Olivia had been skeptical, but she had allowed Solas to map out the location for her, and had elected to move that same night, despite her injuries. Returning to her advisors, she had lay the new plan before them, and had began to pack up her things, giving them no time to argue about her decision.

Cullen had been decidedly annoyed by her eagerness to move on, but he understood why. Being so close to Haven was taking it's toll on the mages; the spirits of the dead still weighed heavily against the Veil, and a malcontent had settled over the entire camp. Cassandra had been less willing than he had, but she had too much respect for Olivia to defy her orders. Leliana and Josephine had remained silent throughout the night, even as they packed up camp, but it was evident that they were content with Olivia's decision to search out this new stronghold.

The journey to find this mysterious stronghold that Solas had mentioned would take a toll on her, Olivia had known, but had she found herself uncaring as she rounded up the rest of their companions, most of whom were already prepped to leave. The only person who wasn't, she had noted with noticeable disdain, was Vivienne. Frowning at the enchanter, Olivia hadn't bothered to hide her displeasure with the Montsimmard mage, and it was the sheer thunder etched into her expression that made Vivienne speed up her packing process.

Rolling her eyes as she turned on her heel, Olivia had headed to the front of the group, patiently waiting for Cullen to signal that their troops were ready to march onward. Anxiety had become the forefront of Olivia's emotions, and she had paced back and forth for a time, seemingly trying to calm her nerves.

She needn't have worried, however. Mere moments after Olivia had begun pacing, Cullen had signalled her. She had been grateful for the timely manner in which he had rallied their forces, and, with a smile directed toward him, had turned and began the long trek toward the location marked on her map.

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><p>Now, three days since they had set off from their makeshift headquarters in the mountain's clutches, Olivia found herself staring at an exquisite fortress in the distance. It looked menacing, even from as far as she was standing, and looked like it could withhold several times the amount of people they had with them currently.<p>

Cullen, who had been walking with Cassandra, noted Olivia's sudden stillness and bolted toward her. "Olivia? What's wr-" He never finished his question, for his eyes came upon the same sight that had bewitched the raven haired mage. Cullen felt his throat tighten slightly as he gazed at the fortress, and he gently reached for one of Olivia's hands, squeezing gently.

Olivia pulled herself out of her momentary paralysis at Cullen's touch, and looked over at him with a smile. "Home." She stated simply, her voice thick with emotion. "We're going to make it, Cullen." she whispered shakily. "We will crush our enemies from this mountaintop."

Cullen felt a broad smile play onto his face at her words, and he looked down at her fondly. "Yes we will." He turned to walk back to the group and inform Cassandra and Leliana, as well as discuss a very important matter with them. They had been quietly discussing who would lead the Inquisition the entire journey, but Cullen had a pretty solid candidate: the woman who had been leading them from the beginning, though she hadn't been aware of it.

Leaning down momentarily, he pressed his lips to her forehead with a murmured, "I'll be back in a moment." Olivia rewarded him with a smile and another squeeze of his hand before she made her way carefully down the mountain toward the paths that wound toward the entrance of the massive stronghold.

Risking a glance over her shoulder, she saw Cassandra, Cullen, Leliana, and Josephine all walking together, apparently deep in discussion about something. A sharp stab of uncertainty ripped through her, and she found herself wondering why she hadn't been asked to join the discussion. Shaking her head slightly, she turned back toward the paths, returning her concentration to her task.

It took another several hours to reach the gates of the fortress, which surprised Olivia by being open, as if the previous occupants had known that someone, someday, would find it. Smiling faintly, she lay a hand against the cool stone walls, feeling the hold thrum with energy. It had held countless armies before them, and the memories that Olivia could feel were powerful. It would prove more than sufficient for their cause, no matter where it took them.

As the Inquisition's forces filtered through the gates, Olivia acquainted herself with several of the areas, mapping out a design for the hold in her head, and picturing people in certain places. There was a tavern, several barracks, a stable. There were several watchtowers, though a few were in vast need of repairs, and even an enchanter's study in one of them, which Olivia planned on fixing for the mages.

Making her way back down toward the main area by walking the expanse of the battlements, Olivia noted a considerably large courtyard that would have room for both a Chantry and a vast herb garden, and a childlike grin danced across her face. She could plant flowers again. Gardening had been one of her pastimes at the Ostwick Circle, for it was both relaxing and involved, and in ensured that she wouldn't get into any more trouble than she already had during her time there.

Shaking her head, she made her way down the steps toward the main entrance, where a crowd had gathered as Cullen quietly addressed them. When she came into view of them, Olivia was stunned as every single soldier dropped to one knee, immediately bringing an arm across their chest in a salute to her. Swallowing, she looked over at her advisors, who beckoned her up the entrance staircase with broad smiles on each of their faces.

Upon reaching them, Josephine and Cullen both excused themselves, each walking down to the crowd below in order to keep the nobles and the soldiers subdued. Olivia's face held a mixture of emotions, and Cassandra, after many moments, put her out of her misery.

Speaking loud enough to project her voice to the crowd gathered below, she began. "The Inquisition needs a leader if we are to defeat whatever evil has been wrought upon this world." Looking over at Olivia as Leliana stepped forward holding a beautifully crafted longsword, she smiled. "The leader who has already been leading it. You."

Shocked into silence, Olivia turned and glanced down at the crowd below, all of whom were looking up at her with smiles on their faces. She immediately recognised Flissa and Diora, as well as Threnn, Minaeve, and of course, her beloved advisors, all of whom were watching her with complete confidence.

Swallowing thickly, Olivia looked back at Cassandra before responding shakily, "Perhaps I heard you incorrectly- a mage at the head of the Inquisition?" Cassandra laughed softly. "Not a mage. **You.**"

"I happen to be a mage, Cassandra." Olivia chided, her eyes glistening with tears of both shock and joy. She had no idea she really meant so much to the people who followed her. "I will not pretend people won't object, but times are changing. Perhaps this is what the Maker intended." Cassandra quipped dryly, motioning to the sword.

"There would be no Inquisition without you, Olivia. How it will serve, how you will lead; that must be yours to decide."

Stepping forward, Olivia grasped the hilt of the sword in her right hand, grateful she at least knew how to handle a blade. Bringing it toward her, she thought very carefully of what she would say. When she had decided, she spoke. "With fear running rampant, the people need to see a mage standing for what is right. I will defeat Corypheus standing with them, not over them."

Cassandra smiled, and stepped forward to gently grasp Olivia's shoulder. "Wherever you lead us," she paused, looking over at Josephine and Cullen, both who bore bright smiles on their faces. "Have our people been told?" She called, Olivia drawing in a breath as the crowd began to get antsy.

"They have. And soon, the world." Josephine called back, looking at Olivia with a warm, grateful smile. "Commander!" Cassandra cried again, as tears threatened to spill from Olivia's bright blue eyes, "will they follow?"

Olivia watched through glassy eyes as Cullen turned to the soldiers, his voice a lion's roar above the din of the crowd. "Inquisition, will you follow?" The answering roar tipped Olivia's emotions over, and she smiled through her tears. Cullen glanced up at her again, noting the tears but not responding openly, though concern flickered on his face. "Will you fight?" he roared again at the soldiers, eliciting another round of cheers from their forces. "Will we triumph?" The answering sound echoed off the mountains, and Olivia laughed softly as she watched her soldiers morale become boosted tenfold.

Cullen unsheathed his sword as he shouted, "Your leader. Your Herald. Your **INQUISITOR!**" He thrust his sword upward, the sunlight glinting off of the blade, the cheers from the soldiers only getting louder. Olivia's heart swelled with pride, and she thrust the blade up in answer, its newly sharpened tip gleaming against the sky. The roar that followed her simple action made new tears spill down her face, and she laughed with joy as she held the sword there for a moment.

There was no doubt in her mind now. She would end the nightmare plaguing Thedas. Not just for herself, or for Cullen. Nor her advisors. But for the hundreds of faces cheering for her at that moment. Olivia's jaw set in a determined line, a new light ablaze in her eyes.

She would **not** fail them.

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><p><em>AN: The Inquisitor speech is my FAVOURITE moment of the entire game! It's so powerful! Just..UGH! Anyways :3_

_Well, we're now at Skyhold! Hooray! Now the real work begins in the repairs not just on the hold, but on Thedas as well. I can't wait to get into it! Thank you so much for continuing this journey with me; I appreciate every single one of you! _

_Please don't forget to favourite, follow, and review! _

_See you all next chapter!_


	13. Overwhelmed

_A/N: I apologise for the super short last chapter, but there really wasn't much to add to the whole "becoming the Inquisitor" portion of the trip to Skyhold that wouldn't have just been complete dribble, so. Yeah. However, the next few chapters (aside from this one – this is another fluffball) should be quite action-packed and exciting, so I hope you all enjoy!_

_A reminder: I am still taking cover and fan-art submissions for this fic! I'd love to see what you guys (and girls) can come up with! If you need more details, please feel free to inbox me!_

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><p>After her advisor's proclamation of her as the new Inquisitor, the five of them had met at the heavy wooden doors to Skyhold's main hall. Each of the advisors had shared a congratulatory embrace with Olivia, though Cullen's lingered for a few moments longer than the others, much to their amusement.<p>

Olivia, who had been quick to disguise that she had been in tears during the speech that had effectively rendered her both speechless and grateful, finally spoke. "We have a lot of work to do if we're going to bring order to this madness." Her brilliant blue eyes met each of her advisors' gaze in turn, and she offered each a smile before she turned around to face the doors.

Drawing in a breath, she shoved them open with a mighty push. When her eyes met the vastness of the hall, she gasped. Large windows shone light into the room, assisted only by the smaller window and balcony above the door, and it was obvious that there had once been a vast throne at the head of the room. It was a beautiful grand hall, unlike anything Olivia had ever seen, and even Josephine gasped in surprise.

Walking forward tentatively, Olivia let her eyes take in every bit of the room, noting the areas that would need repairs immediately. She tried to imagine the room when the repairs were finished; full of furniture, people, and life. A wide grin spread across her face as she looked over her shoulder at Leliana, a grin she found matched by the smile on the bard's face.

"It's not much now, but it will soon be a hall that all will envy." Josephine remarked, determination lacing her accented voice. "There will not be a noble family in Thedas that would not be honoured to walk within it." Olivia smiled as she glanced at the diplomat. "We will shake the fortunes of the world from this hall, Josie. I promise."

Cullen, who had been wondering where they could confer for their War Council meetings, pushed open a door on the left, where he was met with another door. Curiosity got the better of the group, and they followed him, the second door leading to a large room that Josephine could easily run her negotiations from.

Olivia made such a comment to the Antivan, and was rewarded with a grateful smile. The ambassador was used to working in spaces such as the room, and Olivia was only too happy to gift the space to her. Noting a door on the far side of the room, Olivia pushed it open, revealing a hallway that led to a rather large and menacing looking door.

Cocking an eyebrow, she led the group, sans Josephine, down the corridor before she pushed open the door at the end, revealing what had obviously been the council room for whoever had occupied the hold before them. "This is perfect, Inquisitor." Cullen breathed softly, taking in the space. Cassandra and Leliana echoed his sentiments, having been quiet for most of the tour.

"Alright then, Commander, we'll dedicate this space as the War Room. Make sure to mark it on the maps of the hold." Olivia motioned to the blueprints on the heavy wooden table gracing the centre of the room before she turned and exited, leaving her advisors to their own devices for a time. She needed space to take it all in.

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><p>As she was leaving Josephine's room, Varric met her at the entrance. "I have more information on Corypheus. Well, it's not really my information. It's a friend's." Olivia cocked an eyebrow at him, and regarded him curiously. "Alright, Varric, spit it out."<p>

"Well, everyone being all inspirational kind of...jogged my memory. I sent word to my friend earlier to meet us here at Skyhold." the dwarf admitted sheepishly, rubbing his neck. Olivia had a sneaking suspicion she knew who Varric had contacted, but she feigned ignorance. "Can I meet this friend of yours?"

Varric blanched a little bit, which only served to confirm Olivia's suspicions. "She's...not really one for crowds. They tend to always lead to disaster when she's around. Come meet with us on the battlements whenever you're ready, Inquisitor." Varric uttered quietly before he excused himself.

Sighing softly, Olivia shook her head as she began to wander the rest of the castle. Each of her companions, she noted with a smile, had already filtered throughout the hold and claimed spaces of their own. From the door of the hall, she could see Sera in a bay window of the second floor in the tavern. Iron Bull had taken residence with his men on the lower floor, and Cole was wandering around the attic in order to keep his distance from everyone.

Solas had claimed the lower floor of the library tower, Dorian had busied himself with making a rather comfortable nook within one of the rows of books. Leliana's spies had set up at the top floor of the tower, which had convenient windows for the spy-master's ravens. A smile broke out across her face as she saw the expressions on each of her companions faces; they were at peace with having somewhere safe to be, especially after Haven's destruction.

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><p>Further wandering had revealed where Varric and Vivienne were staking a claim on space. Olivia noted, with a degree of chagrin, that Vivienne overlooked the grand hall from the space in front of the balcony. Rolling her eyes at the enchanter's ostentatious nature and desire to know everything, she made her way back out onto the grounds, scuffing her boots on the dirt as she walked.<p>

The atmosphere surrounding the interior of the hold was full of relief, and the energies of the soldiers hummed with a mixture of emotions that pressed heavily on Olivia's heart. Many were heartbroken for those they had lost, others were angry with themselves for not staying behind with their friends. Several soldiers came up to her to offer praise and congratulations, and Olivia entertained several hugs from the villagers.

Olivia was pleased to see that Flissa and Diora had resumed the responsibilities of running the inn and tavern, thanks to her rescue. Diora ran out as she approached, making the Inquisitor kneel quickly to catch her. Olivia was surprised as Diora flung her arms around the Inquisitor, embracing her tightly. Olivia's heart wrenched painfully as the small child whispered "Thank you" over and over against her shoulder, and Olivia happened to glance at Flissa as she did. The innkeeper was trembling with gratitude as well as pride, and Olivia rose to a standing position, still holding on to Diora.

Making her way to Flissa, she extended a hand toward her. Flissa ignored it, and instead embraced her as well as her daughter, breaking apart in Olivia's arms, causing the mage's heart to squeeze even more. The nightmare that Olivia had been privy to many months earlier had saved their lives, and Olivia was more than grateful for it now. Flissa and Olivia had immediately gotten along upon meeting, thanks to several common interests and being so close in age. Diora had captured Olivia's heart almost instantly as well.

Olivia buried her face against Flissa's shoulder as the three females embraced tightly, a touching display for all who were watching, including Cullen, who had been on his way to speak with her. He remembered the nightmare that Olivia had had, and how harsh he had been in silencing her. Frowning a little, he realised that Diora resembled the little girl she had told him about in the nightmare. Breathing out a heavy sigh, he made his way to the three and gently lay a hand on Olivia's shoulder when he reached her.

Olivia reluctantly let Flissa go, smiling warmly at her friend before she gently set Diora back on her feet, hugging the child once more before she turned to Cullen and allowed him to lead her somewhere the two could talk without prying eyes and ears. His hand, Olivia noted with a girlish grin, rested at her lower back as he guided her up a set of stairs toward a tower on the battlements.

"So, Commander, where is it you're leading me?" She quipped, trying to lighten the heavy mood that lingered after her embrace with Flissa and Diora. Her quip succeeded in drawing a smile to Cullen's lips, and he turned to her. "My office, my lady Inquisitor. Lest you had a better place?" Olivia laughed softly and shook her head. "I haven't even touched half of this hold; it's enormous." she remarked, pausing before they entered Cullen's office to stare out over the mountains.

"Look at it all, Cullen." She breathed, her eyes sparkling with the light that bounced off of the snowcapped peaks. "Nothing can touch us here." Olivia spoke hopefully, taking solace in the peaceful view. She was vaguely aware of Cullen moving, but still jumped a little when his arms came around her and his cheek rested lightly against the side of her head.

Silence befell the two for a time as they committed the mountains to memory, though it only lasted for a few minutes before Olivia spoke again. "I'm sorry for Haven..." she murmured, her words thick with emotion. "I failed to protect our people there. What makes people think I will succeed here?"

Cullen turned her around then, silencing her for a moment as he gazed into her troubled eyes. "You did not fail, Liv. Haven was not your fault; there's no way you could have seen that coming. Our workers leaped to defend the village, and you. I saw the pride in their eyes as they took up arms against Corypheus. They were content to be a part of this cause. They had faith in you." Olivia bit down on her lip, casting her eyes downward as Cullen spoke.

Softening his tone, the commander gently tilted her face up to his, his thumbs gently brushing away the tears that streaked down her cheeks. "I have faith in you, too." A strangled sob escaped Olivia's throat, and she buried her face in Cullen's chest as she cried, her hands balling into fists within his cloak.

She cried for Haven and for the villagers who had perished there. She cried for their workers, the ones who had leaped to her defense before she had even drawn her staff. She wept for the mages that she had killed when they had charged their lines. All she could think while she sobbed was _Why? Why did it come to this?_

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><p>Olivia didn't know how long she stood there crying, but she became vaguely aware that Cullen had brought her up to his office to speak with her about something. She withdrew from his embrace, hastily rubbing at her face and trying to regain some of her composure before she dared to look at him.<p>

When she did, she almost fell apart again. Cullen was looking at her with eyes full of concern, as well as a few other emotions she couldn't exactly place. Offering the blonde commander a small smile, which he returned warmly, she tucked a stray piece of her hair behind her ear. "I know you didn't bring me up here to listen to me fall apart like a child." She admonished herself, and the smile on Cullen's face vanished almost instantly.

"Liv, you aren't a child, nor do I think you behaved like one. You're grieving. It's normal." He spoke softly, catching one of her hands with his own and drawing her close again. She hesitated before letting him embrace her again, and Cullen murmured softly, "I brought you up here because I know you needed space away from everyone for a while. And I wanted to see how you were holding up after the courtyard."

Olivia groaned as she realised he'd seen her crying as she held up her newly commissioned blade. "I-" she paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts as she leaned against him. "I'm alright. I was just overwhelmed. The amount of faith people have in me...it's a little unsettling at times." She felt him chuckle softly and embrace her tighter. "I can imagine that. You're a strong woman, Olivia. The people look up to you." He drew back for a moment, catching her gaze. "As do I."

Olivia smiled shakily at him before she looked over at the mountains again. "I wonder why sometimes. I mean, I'm a mage! From a Circle!" She shook her head in disbelief as she wound her hands together, resting her forearms against the battlements. "It's hard to believe that people are putting their faith in someone they fear."

Cullen laughed softly as he leaned against the battlements beside her, propping himself up on one elbow. "They fear what they can't control, Liv. They don't fear **you.** Just your magic." Olivia scoffed a little bit, but she seemed to accept the admission.

"Cullen, I-" She stopped herself, looking down at her hands before she spoke again. "I **really** care for you." She whispered softly, her insecurities clearly bothering her if she was still questioning the depth of his feelings for her, and she grimaced slightly as she heard his breath catch. "But..."

"But what?" Cullen asked quietly, resting a hand against her back lightly, looking at her. "Do you **really** think you can care for a mage? You've had some troubling experiences with them. I can tell." Cullen blew out a soft sigh, and turned her to face him again. "Yes, I have had troubling experiences with mages. However, that does not skew my views of them as it once did. You opened my eyes to that."

Olivia glanced up at him with a start, but the look on his face silenced her for the time being. "I used to hate all mages because of the actions of a few." He looked at her sadly, and her heart broke for him. "I became a very bitter man, and an extraordinarily effective Templar, because of my hatred." Olivia flinched slightly, and Cullen regretted that admission, though he did not apologise for it.

"However, the events at Kirkwall regarding my former Knight-Commander put my hatred into perspective for me. I could not doom all mages because of the actions of several; that was unworthy of me. So I sided against the Knight-Commander. I allowed the Champion of Kirkwall to slay her as I watched."

Olivia gasped softly, and gently lay a hand on his arm. "Cullen..." she murmured softly, hoping there was a way to comfort him. He offered her a sad smile. "After that, I couldn't stay there. When Cassandra offered the position of Commander to me, I took it without hesitation. A few of my underlings followed me here, and have been helping me while I..." Olivia heard the hesitation in his voice, so she waited for him to continue.

"Templars are granted lyrium to enhance our abilities. We've secured a stable supplier for the Templars here but I...no longer take it."

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><p><em><strong>CLIFFHANGER<strong>! Hahaha I know, you all probably hate me right about now, but I promise it'll get better! That said, aren't they ADORABLE?! :D I thinks so (though I'm perhaps a bit biased there, :p) I can't wait to dive deeper into Cullen and Olivia's history, as well as get to the fun in the Plains, the Approach, and the Graves! _

_Please remember to favourite, follow, and review! I love hearing what you all have to say!_

_See you next chapter!_


	14. Past Champions

_**A/N**: Thanks so much for the reviews following last chapter – I know, I know, it was mean to leave it as a cliffhanger. Hopefully you (and Olivia!) will get some answers with this chapter :) _

_Still taking art submissions for this chapter! I'd love to see what you all can come up with! Huge thanks, as always, to Pixie for putting up with my nonsense :p_

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><p>Olivia stared at him after his confession, disbelief blanketing her face as she registered what he had just admitted. A Templar going through lyrium withdrawal, Olivia knew, was akin to walking through hell ten times over. She herself had known several Templars in her family who had died because of it, and she looked down at her hands. If that happened to Cullen...she shook her head. No. She couldn't let that happen.<p>

"You don't take it?" She eventually managed to ask as she swallowed thickly, uncertainty staining the question as she brought her gaze back up to look at his face. Looking at him now, she realised, the signs of lyrium withdrawal had taken a toll on him already. His youthful face held several harsh lines, and the bags under his eyes attested to many restless nights.

"No, Liv. I don't. Not since I joined the Inquisition, actually." He pushed a hand through his hair, and motioned to his office so they could speak privately, without the risk of someone eavesdropping on their conversation. "Lyrium doesn't grant the Templars their abilities, but it does help augment them slightly. They become much more potent than they would be without." He pulled out a wooden box that Olivia almost immediately recognised.

"After Kirkwall...I just couldn't. I don't want to be tied to the Order – or that life in general – any longer." He sighed softly, a hand resting on the ornate lid of the box as his eyes travelled down to rest upon the inscription. "That said, I have asked Cassandra to..." He paused for a moment, choosing his next words carefully, "...watch me. She's a Seeker, she knows what to look for. If she decides that I am no longer fit enough to perform my role here to it's fullest, I will defer to her judgement."

Olivia regarded him thoughtfully as he spoke, and felt her heart squeeze as he looked at her with an apology written across his face. She realised then that he was worried about his choice. Not for himself, but rather for her as well as the Inquisition itself, and she offered a reassuring smile before she spoke. "I understand this is a difficult choice to make, Cullen. And I respect what you're doing." Olivia watched as relief flooded the commander's face, and he made to walk toward her. As he did, he stumbled, and Olivia raced forward to catch him, supporting both of them with relative ease.

She brushed off the mumbled apology that he uttered, helping him regain his footing before she quipped, "Stop apologising. You've patched me up more than I care to admit since this nonsense began. Let me take care of you this time." Ignoring his protests, she led him to the chair he'd set up behind his desk and eased him into it, being mindful not to drop him.

When he was settled, he breathed out a soft sigh before looking up at her. Olivia smiled warmly at him, the expression on her face turning quizzical as Cullen frowned. "What's wrong?" she asked, leaning her hip against his desk lightly. "I just realised I never really answered you." Olivia's confusion must have shown because he chuckled softly. "When you asked if I could truly care for a mage. I never really answered."

Olivia rubbed her neck absent-mindedly, looking down at the floor as she scuffed a boot against the stone. "It's alright, you don't have to. It's just me being downright silly." She mumbled, shifting uncomfortably and getting ready to bolt out of the room to give him some space. Before she could, however, Cullen reached for her and yanked her down to him gently, silencing any protests she may have had with a kiss that was unlike any they had shared thus far. This kiss was passionate, raw, and set Olivia's blood aflame.

Olivia took an involuntary step forward, closing the distance between herself and Cullen's chair as she did, her hands supporting her weight as Cullen's hand moved from her arm to her cheek. Taking advantage of their closeness, the commander shifted his weight, effectively causing Olivia to fall into him with a surprised gasp that was followed by a soft, girlish giggle against his mouth.

Smiling faintly, Cullen tugged Olivia into his lap after withdrawing slightly, intent on spending a few more intimate moments with her before he relinquished her to the clutches of her companions. Olivia, understanding his intent, settled herself into a comfortable position on his lap as she leaned against his chest, a soft sigh passing her lips. "I think you have effectively reassured me, Commander." She chided playfully, making Cullen chuckle as he pressed his lips to her shoulder softly. "Mm...I'm glad I could oblige, my lady." He mumbled softly, ignoring the heat rising in his face.

Olivia laughed at the quip, turning her head to gaze at him for a moment, her eyes alight with happiness and her cheeks as flushed as his were. "People have already started talking about us, you know. The Herald of Andraste and the Lion, Commander of the Inquisition's armies." Her laughter only escalated when Cullen groaned and buried his face between her shoulder blades. "Maker's breath. I would rather our private affairs remain as such, but I'd be more chagrined if the troops didn't have something to gossip about." He looked up at her after a moment, smiling gently. "They need a little bit of good news in the midst of this mess."

Olivia returned his smile before she bent her head to his, resting her forehead there as she murmured softly, "That they do."

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><p>A few hours later, Olivia reluctantly left Cullen's side to meet with Varric and his friend on the battlements, a lovestruck smile never leaving her face as she made her way toward the location Varric had indicated. Olivia knew she would be the victim of relentless teasing, as would Cullen, but she found she didn't care as much as she thought she would.<p>

She had also borrowed Cullen's fur-lined cloak at his insistence as the cool air had finally caught up with her, and she tugged it tighter around herself. The fabric smelled of ivory mixed with leather and hints of lyrium, and it made Olivia smile even wider for a moment before she walked down to the parapet that Varric was standing on.

"Alright, Varric, what's this about?" She asked when she reached the dwarf's side. He looked at her with a wry smile, which Olivia pointedly ignored, before motioning to a slender, armour-clad female figure making her way down the stairs. Olivia recognised her instantly, but she made no mention of it to Varric.

"Liv, meet the Champion of Kirkwall. Aria, meet the Inquisitor." Varric's voice was laced with worry, but Olivia made no threat against him, instead inclining her head in acknowledgement of the rogue who had brought Kirkwall to it's knees during her time there. "It is an honour to have you here, Champion."

Aria laughed softly, looking at Varric. "I like her, Varric. Your letters don't do her justice." The dwarf grumbled as Olivia straightened, her cool blue eyes catching the warmer brown of the rogue. Her expression, though friendly, was all business. "Varric tells me you have information on Corypheus. I'm curious to hear how -and what- you know of him." A pointed look at Varric made it clear she wasn't entirely happy about all this, but she remained stoic as the champion went on to explain that she and Varric had tracked a carta agent to a Grey Warden stronghold, where they were holding Corypheus. She went on to explain that he was twisting the Wardens to his control from within the cell, and they had used her father's blood to seal him there.

Olivia never batted an eye as Aria went on to describe her and Varric's slaying of Corypheus, and how she didn't understand why he was alive, considering the two of them had been very sure of his demise after the battle. "I have a friend in the Wardens who is on the run from them. He knows a bit more about this than I, but unfortunately he was unable to keep contact with me for very long. His own wardens turned against him, and he fled. The last I knew, he was hiding within Crestwood somewhere."

Olivia's displeasure flickered within her gaze, and the champion must have caught onto it because she murmured, "I know it's not much to go on, Your Worship. I apologise that I don't have much more information to offer." Varric glanced between the two women, wondering what Olivia's plan of action was going to be.

"I'm not going to say I'm not annoyed with this, because I am, but we need to find this Warden. He – and you, Champion – will be instrumental in helping us in our fight against Corypheus." Olivia finally spoke, shifting her posture a little. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she regarded both Aria and Varric quietly, her silence making Varric very uneasy. "I understand, Inquisitor. I will make preparations to head to Crestwood immediately." Aria inclined her head gratefully before she tossed Varric a smile, heading down to the stables to gather her horse and her pack.

Once Olivia was sure Aria was out of earshot, she turned to Varric, a wry grin softening the seriousness that had previously been etched on her face. "Cassandra is going to have your ass, you know that right?" The dwarf groaned and rubbed his neck. "Yeah, yeah. I know. I'm sorry, Snow. I should have coughed up the information sooner." He sighed softly, looking over at his friend.

"You should have, yes, but I understand why you didn't come forward and tell anyone that you knew Hawke's whereabouts." She leaned against the stone wall of the parapet thoughtfully. "You were protecting her. She means a great deal to you." Olivia glanced over at her companion with a smile. "Besides, I now have something to hold over your head if you start teasing me about Cullen again."

Varric sputtered a little bit, but eventually relented, leaning against the wall beside her after a time. "Did you steal the cloak, or did Curly give it to you?" He asked after a moment, his tone laced with amusement. "I borrowed it, by his request, actually. We were discussing Inquisition business in his office, and he noticed I was shivering." Varric almost laughed aloud at the admission. Though she tried hard, Olivia couldn't hide anything from him. "Keep telling yourself that story, Snow, and you may start to believe it yourself."

Olivia sighed in exasperation at Varric's jest, pushing a hand through her raven hair. "We sort of...solidified our relationship, alright?" she eventually admitted, looking down at her hands. Varric looked over in surprise as she spoke. "Really? How'd he do? Blushed? Stuttered?" he grinned as he imagined Cullen stumbling over himself as he usually did when it came to matters concerning Olivia.

"Actually, no. He didn't." Olivia answered vaguely, twisting her fingers slightly as she looked out over the hold. Varric heard the unsaid truth in her words and laughed loudly. "Way to go Curly!" He cheered, making Olivia grumble before she started to giggle at the absurdity of it all.

"Come on, rascal. We have a Warden to find and several other matters to attend to, including scouting." Olivia turned from the wall and began heading down to the courtyard, intent on gathering Cassandra and Dorian on her way to the war room.

"Where are we scouting?" Varric asked after her, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"The desert, Varric."

"...Shit."

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><p><em><strong>AN**: There we have it! I apologise for this chapter being so short, but it's just a bit of a filler before the fun really begins. :D This is the official beginning of Olivia's tumultuous relationship with our favourite Commander, as well as the introduction to my Champion, Aria Hawke, and the search for more information in regards to the happenings of the Temple disaster!_

_Please favourite, follow, and review! I love hearing from you all!_

_See you next chapter!_


	15. Desert Dreaming

_**A/N:** Here we are with another chapter! And ohhh my god, I hit over 8000 views! :o I am beyond grateful for everyone's love and support regarding this fic- all of you are the reason I continue to write what I do :). _

_I'll try to push through the boring bits as much as I can [this is the third time I've had to write this freakin' chapter!]. Thanks for all the lovely messages and reviews – I really appreciate hearing from you all (I get more inbox messages than reviews, hahaha)! Huge thanks to Pixie for dealing with my craziness! Let's get into it!_

_[I am still taking art submissions for this, so if you want some extra details in order to create something, just ask! :3]_

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><p>It had taken nearly a week to trudge across Orlais to the Western Approach, and they'd already spent another three days doing various reconnaissance missions and scouting for the Inquisition. Olivia was beyond frustrated with the weather in the approach, and decided to vocalise those frustrations in a very colourful manner. "Andraste's flaming sword, I am going to shove my foot so far up Corypheus' ass when I find him that he won't know what to do with himself! Sodding Venatori and Tevinter bullshit!"<p>

Varric, Sera, and Bull all roared with laughter at the outrage that was etched onto Olivia's face, though the look she shot them soon after quieted them only slightly. They did feel a little sorry for the mages that travelled with them, however; all three had had to shuck various layers of clothing in order to be cooler in the dry desert climate. Olivia wore a simple pair of breeches paired with a bell-sleeved top with two strips that laced over her upper abdomen in an "X" before tying off in the back. She had paired this rather simple ensemble with her usual boots, though she had sworn several times while emptying them of the sand that collected in the soles as they travelled, and she also sported a very lightweight cloak in a very flattering amber shade. Her long, softly curled raven hair was pulled up into a braided up-do with a few curls allowed to hang loose and dust her shoulders.

Pouting a little bit more, she stopped the group once again to pour sand out of her boots, swearing again. "Eighteen sodding times I've had to do this! Damn it!" Dorian echoed her dismay as he had to empty his own boots, the two of them sitting back-to-back on one of the rare pieces of debris they had found littering the Approach, shaking sand out of just about everything. Sera and Solas rolled their eyes as they both squished their feet in the sand, and Bull shook his head with an amused smile. "I'll be finding sand in my ass for months when this nonsense is over!" Olivia wailed dramatically, shooting her companions a dangerous look as they burst into a new round of laughter, even Dorian joining in with a gentle chuckle.

"I hate you all." She grumbled as she put her boots back on, rising fluidly once she was satisfied with the feel of her boots, Squinting a little bit, she glanced up at the sky to gauge the time by the sun's position, and immediately regretted it. Though it felt like the middle of the afternoon, the sun had only just reached it's midday point, adding one more thing for Olivia to grumble about. Despite the time, however, the group had accomplished quite a bit for the Inquisition.

They had infiltrated and combed through a mansion that had been tucked between two rather imposing mountains, and within it had discovered some fairly interesting artifacts. The interior of the mansion had been frozen in time, making both Olivia and Solas gasp in wonder as they investigated the cause further. The two had discovered that the door to the central courtyard chamber needed keystones, and the group had set out to hunt for them. Once that task was complete, they had burst into the chamber and collected two things: a vast collection of Tevinter scrolls, and a staff that was seemingly responsible for the freeze in time.

Of course, once they'd removed the staff from it's position all hell had broken loose, and Olivia had mumbled something about the Ventatori and her wrath as she had whirled around, shooting various forms of frost magic from her fingertips and her staff. Every time they battled, it looked like Olivia was dancing, and her companions never tired of watching her fight at their side.

Though the staff from the chamber was a significant increase in power for Olivia, the skull at the top of it creeped her out, so she allowed Solas to take it after Dorian refused it for the same reason. The two of them found other staves within the mansion and were content with them, while Sera had pilfered a new set of leathers in hues of red and soft browns. They had left the mansion shortly after taking care of the demon infestation and open rift on the inside of the building, and had continued with their trek. They had also had to stop for water several times, and by the seventh stop, Olivia caved and bought everyone two new water skins each, including the companions she had given time off back at Skyhold. The purchase of the skins had been insurmountably helpful during the long days they had spent out in the desert and had cut down on the amount of stops the group had to make by over half.

Bringing her thoughts back to the present, Olivia glanced over at Varric, who had taken the lead position so that she could walk at a slightly slower pace in order to conserve energy. She realised that he was whistling a tavern song that the two of them had heard Maryden singing before they'd left, and decided it was the perfect opportunity to liven the group up as they travelled. Drawing in a breath, she began to sing along with Varric's whistling, her melodic voice carrying easily on the dry desert wind.

_Enchanters!  
>The time has come to be alive<br>In the Circle of Magi, where we will thrive  
>With our brothers.<em>

_Enchanters remind_  
><em>That time will not unwind.<em>  
><em>The dragon's crooked spine,<em>  
><em>Will never straighten into line.<em>

_What we plea will be_  
><em>A faithful end decree,<em>  
><em>Where a man will not retreat<em>  
><em>From the defeat of his fathers.<em>

Varric shot her a grin as he whistled, and Sera groaned loudly when she recognised the song. Olivia knew that the elven archer hated the Inquisition's bard with a vengeance because of a song she had written about the rather rambunctious elf, but she didn't apologise for singing. She almost choked on the next verse as Solas and Dorian shot Sera a look to shut her up before they joined in the merriment, their voices a soothing compliment to Olivia's own.

_Enchanters!  
>A time has come for battle lines.<br>We will cut these knotted ties,  
>And some may live and some may die.<em>

_Enchanter, come to me_  
><em>Enchanter, come to me<em>  
><em>Enchanter, come to see<em>  
><em>Can-a you, can-a you come to see,<em>  
><em>As you once were blind<em>  
><em>In the light now you can sing?<em>  
><em>In our strength we can rely,<em>  
><em>And history will not repeat.<em>

_Enchanter, come to me_  
><em>Enchanter, come to me<em>  
><em>Enchanter, come to see<em>  
><em>Can-a you, can-a you come to see,<em>  
><em>As you once were blind<em>  
><em>In the light now you can sing?<em>  
><em>In our strength we can rely,<em>  
><em>And history will not repeat.<em>

Laughing when they finally finished the song, Olivia glanced around the area before consulting her maps. She spotted a camp that was a few hours journey from their current position, if she had marked their path correctly, and there was also a keep that they could infiltrate to secure a better foothold for the Inquisition in farther reaches of Orlais. Rolling the maps back up, she relayed the plan to her companions, who all agreed to it without questioning her, and the group pressed forward, eager to make camp and settle in after a long day's work.

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><p>By sundown, the group had finally reached their destination and set up camp, each of them sinking onto a rock or log gratefully, eager to be off their feet. As per the norm, Olivia set up the fire in the centre of their tents and began to pull out the fixings for one of her famous stews. Grinning wryly, she dug deep into her pack and withdrew a rabbit that she had diced up and cleverly frozen with magic before their trip. The reveal of rabbit made her companions cheer, as they had tried several of the other meats that the Approach had to offer, and none of them had been particularly great.<p>

Olivia laughed as she began to cook, making small talk with her companions as she did. Sera, who enjoyed cooking as much as Olivia did, curiously asked if she could learn how to make the stew as well as Olivia did, something that the former Circle mage was only too happy to teach. Bull and Dorian poked fun at her for her relationship with Cullen, enjoying the flush that seemed to permanently stain Olivia's cheeks through the conversation. Varric lent his voice to the teasing as well, and Olivia made a very unladylike gesture at him, making Bull roar with laughter.

Once the stew was made, Olivia dished a portion out to everyone with Sera's help, and silence befell the camp as everyone savoured the stew with several helpings of bread that Olivia also revealed from the bottom of her pack, laughing heartily when Bull asked her "How much shit did you cram in that pack, boss?"

Bellies full, questions remained over who would take the watches for the night. No one was particularly looking forward to taking watch, but Olivia surprised the group by appointing herself a double watch – she would take the second and third watches, which were usually the longest ones. Bull immediately offered to take the first, since he was the only other member of the group who didn't look dead on their feet. Grateful smiles travelled around the camp, and everyone cleaned up the remnants of their meal before ducking into their tents for the night.

Clapping a gently hand on Bull's shoulder, Olivia murmured a soft good night before she ducked into her tent to catch a couple of hours sleep before she took watch. As she lay on her bedroll within the confines of the tent, she found herself staring at the cloth ceiling, wondering if Cullen was still awake and writing reports back at Skyhold or if he'd turned in for a restless night's sleep.

Smiling as her thoughts became consumed by reminiscent memories of the blond commander, Olivia recalled the week they'd spent getting to know each other before she had headed out to the Approach with her companions. All of Skyhold knew of their relationship status now, since several of the recruits had seen the two up on the battlements in the early hours of the morning, sharing an intimate moment before they both headed to the war room to get started on the day's threats. Dorian had come across the two of them sharing a hearty laugh and a conversation over a game of chess in the stronghold's courtyard, and Sera had caught the two of them nicking pastries from the kitchen late at night. The two of them had been giggling like fools, and Olivia had tossed Sera a bundle of treats as well as a wry grin.

Laughing softly to herself, Olivia thought back to the latest conversation she had had with Cullen as she played with the necklace she had gotten Blackwall to make for her: a simple iron charm in the shape of a lion. Olivia had inquired about Cullen's family, and learned that he had two younger sisters who wrote to him often, their letters full of worry for his well-being. She had chuckled at hiss sheepish admission that he didn't write back often enough, and had playfully chided him for not responding to the latest letter from his siblings. She had also learned that while disciplined on the outside, Cullen was quite willing to get into a bit of trouble from time to time.

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><p>Olivia had howled with laughter as Cullen told her tales of a certain troublesome blonde templar when he had first been stationed at Kinloch Hold, the former Circle tower in Ferelden, not having pegged him as one to play pranks at the behest of his charges. Cullen had laughed heartily as he recalled helping one of the mages flip an entire section of books upside down on the shelves in the library, as well as helping another mage turn the tower's fountain a fluorescent pink colour on a dare. Of course, not all of Cullen's memories of Kinloch were pleasant, and Olivia knew it. She had shaken her head in amusement during the tales of troublesome Cullen, falling silent when he told her he had sobered quite quickly the night he'd attended his first Harrowing, a frown tugging at the scar at the corner of his mouth.<p>

Cullen had been curious about her as well, and after he shook the bad memory that had kick-started his much more serious, vigilant nature, he'd asked about her family and her time in the Ostwick Circle. Olivia, though hating to revisit her history, had decided it was only fair to tell him about her since he'd divulged so much about himself rather willingly.

She spoke of her parents with slight disdain lacing her words, citing her mother's insistence that she learn the arts of music and dance as a small girl, and her father's blessings to begin her training with longswords at just five years old. A smile tugged at her lips as she remembered playing pretend with the servant children that lived within the Trevelyan estate as well as her brother Max. Some type of emotion must have darkened her expression when she mentioned Max, because Cullen had looked at her with concern etched onto his face. Olivia had deflected easily, instead telling him of what had happened when her magic had been discovered.

Her parents had been furious to discover their child was a mage, and she had been sent to the Ostwick Circle immediately. Bann and Arlessa Trevelyan had locked her in a room at the estate until the Templars had arrived to take her away, and Olivia looked down at her hands as she recanted the tale, her words heavy. She had lost everything when her magic had been found out: her inheritance, her mabari, her friends...and Max. The only thing she had kept of her former nobility was her name, and she'd elected to keep it to remind herself of what she had endured.

Upon reaching the Circle, Olivia had been teased mercilessly for being the daughter of Ostwick's most prominent family, now reduced to nothing more than a 'hapless whelp', as she was often reminded by several of the older mages. She was bullied in more ways than just words, however; several of the older mages and a couple of the templars pushed her around when she tried to study in the Circle libraries. She'd had her books set on fire by one of the older mages as well, and had been laughed at when she couldn't extinguish the flames. That day had been when she met Neria, her closest and only friend at the Circle.

Cullen had seen Olivia's face light up at the mention of Neria, and had smiled when she told him of how Neria had rescued her and her books from the clutches of the others. Olivia had been six at the time of her admission to the Circle; Neria was much older, at eleven years old, but she was kinder than any of the others Olivia had come across. Neria had taken Olivia under her wing and had tutored her privately when their daily lessons were over. She had been a source of comfort for the lost little noble child, and she had been everything that Olivia aspired to be as she grew up.

Olivia had spoken of Neria to Cullen only once before, when she had made the lake at Haven a skating pond for the villagers. Olivia had told him that unfortunately, when Olivia was just nine years old, a little over three years after arriving at the Circle, Neria had failed her Harrowing, leaving behind a distraught Olivia to fend for herself. She had been inconsolable for weeks after Neria's death; shattering several crystalline figures, setting her books on fire several times, and making a mess of her room at the tower. She had screamed at the Enchanters who came to check on her, flinging haphazard spells at them in her grief before succumbing to it, falling to a heap on the floor, a mess of robes and tears.

Most mages would have been made Tranquil for such a display, but the First Enchanter and the Templar-Captain at Ostwick's circle recognised Olivia's talent and that her misuse of magic was her way of dealing with the loss of her only friend. They isolated her for several weeks until she had calmed down, and kept a careful watch on her in case she lose her temper or her control again.

Cullen had squeezed her hand gently to reassure her, and Olivia had reward him with a smile before she continued to tell him of how, three months after Neria's death, she had passed her Harrowing with ease, the youngest mage at Ostwick Circle to do so. Due to her talent and overcoming the overwhelming odds that had been stacked against her, Olivia had been named Junior Enchanter, the first of the young mages who would stand to receive that title. She had trained continuously for another four years before she was awarded the title of Enchanter at age thirteen, and took on her first apprentice – a mage that was three years older than she was. Despite her young age, however, Olivia made strides as one of the greatest Enchanters the Circles had seen, and was invited to attend the College of Magi meeting that occurred on her sixteenth nameday.

At nineteen, Olivia was given the title of Senior Enchanter, and allowed to teach a full class of mages instead of taking on several apprentice mages. She was well-loved in the Circles at this point, a far cry from the helpless six year old who had entered the doors of the Circle with a terror etched onto her face.

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><p>Blowing out a sigh as Olivia realised that she wouldn't be able to sleep with her memory so active, she pushed herself up off of her bedroll and exited the tent, relieving Bull of his watch early. He offered her a soft, knowing smile before he lumbered into his own tent, and soon the sounds of his snoring carried to Olivia's ears and made her chuckle softly as she watched the horizon.<p>

She had had the sense to pack her fur-lined cloak as well, knowing that desert climates fluctuated between scalding during the day and positively frigid during the night, and she pulled the cloak over her frame, thankful for it as a gust of cool wind swirled around the camp a moment later.

Humming to herself as she settled down to keep watch, Olivia's blue eyes scanned the sea of sand, noting the location of the keep some miles to her north-west, as well as the familiar green glow of open fade rifts between the camp and the keep. She made note of what she saw on the map she kept in her pack, and continued to watch for signs of trouble as her companions slept.

Her watch was thankfully uneventful, and she spent the majority of her time on watch glancing up and mapping the stars on a blank piece of parchment to occupy herself. When the sun began to rise, Olivia started pulling the fixings for breakfast from her pack, an amused smile tugging at her mouth as she did. Normally, she made another stew for breakfast using different ingredients, but this time she was going to keep the meal dry and flavourful, more like a fry-up. She rekindled the fire using a tiny bit of magic to coax the tired embers back to life, and she set a large, flat pan on top of the fire, eager to get started on cooking.

As she cooked, she also hung a pot over the fire that contained water, to which she added a few ingredients to make for a drink, something she'd learned from the cooks at Skyhold but had yet to attempt on her own. Olivia added various meats, eggs, and vegetables to the pan over the fire, as well as dry grains and morning herbs before she let the heat do the work.

As the smell of breakfast permeated the air around the camp, her companions roused from their full night of sleep, each one of them rubbing their eyes as they stepped out of their tents in full armour, offering soft greetings. Olivia laughed as Bull was the last to rise, greeting here with a simple statement of, "Damn that smells good, boss. Could get used to this shit."

Each of them was treated to a hot plate of breakfast and a warm mug of what they would later discover was some kind of energy drink made with dried beans that had been roasted carefully for flavour, and small talk was exchanged before the camp was packed up and they moved on will full bellies and alert minds.

Their first stop was one of the rifts Olivia had marked on her map, and as they approached the anomaly, it began to spit a variety of demons. Olivia turned her focus to the ones in the back after a well-aimed chain lightening from Dorian and Solas, spinning her staff twice before slamming the butt of it into the sand, sending up a shower of the aggravating particles in it's wake as two frigid prisons appeared around Olivia's targets, whips of ice coming off of the prisons to snap at nearby targets. As her companions finished off the weaker demons around her, Olivia held the two in the prisons, slowly collapsing them in on themselves with a wicked grin.

Snapping her fingers suddenly, the demons' screeches pierced the air as the frozen prisons collapsed completely, annihilating the demons in a matter of seconds, leaving nothing but ash and broken ice particles in their wake. Sera and Dorian shook their heads to rid themselves of the sound of the screams, and Olivia closed the rift with her mark as her companions rifled the corpses for useful items before they continued on, Bull remarking quietly, "Remind me never to piss you off, boss," which made Olivia burst out laughing and caused Solas and Varric both to chuckle.

The process used on the first rift was repeated on the second, though the second one proved to be a bit more of a challenge. It spat a lesser pride demon as well as a rage demon and several weaker demons that her companions dispatched easily. Olivia cursed loudly as the pride demon got a swipe at her arm as she focused on keeping the rage demon from singeing Varric's face off, and when she was sure Solas and Dorian had it contained, she whirled around angrily, tendrils of ice shooting from her hands and wrapping around the pride demon before she ripped her hands apart, tearing the demon into hundreds of tiny pieces in a manner of seconds.

Cursing loudly, she tossed Varric a poultice for his burns before she slung her pack back over her shoulder and headed for the keep entrance, ignoring her own injuries. "Snow, don't you want a kit for that gash?" Varric called after her, receiving a head shake as an answer. Shaking his own head, he grumbled softly, "Curly is gonna kick my ass when she shows up with that massive gash back at Skyhold." Olivia overheard the statement and laughed softly, admonishing gently, "No he won't. It was my own carelessness that landed me with the wound, so I'll bear the responsibility for it." Her companions snickered a little bit at the smile that played onto her face at the mention of Cullen, and Olivia rolled her eyes at them as she pressed toward the keep, intent on securing a good foothold for the Inquisition in the Maker-forsaken desert.

"Come on, you lot. We've got a keep to sack!"

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><p><em><strong>AN:** Yes, in case you're wondering: Olivia did indeed make them all coffee! I apologise if this chapter is a little dry – as I said before, this is the third time I've had to write it thanks to program crashes and a storm that made my computer blackout briefly._

_Hopefully you all enjoyed a little more background on Olivia and you didn't find it too tedious! I don't want to spend too much time detailing the combat aspect, obviously, since you can just play through it yourself and coordinate how you want, but I do like shedding some light on Olivia's unique spells. They're pretty damn cool!_

_Thanks again for all the wonderful messages and reviews from last chapter. Can't wait to hear what you have to say for this one!_

_Please remember to favourite, follow, and review if you haven't already!_

_See you in the next chapter!_


	16. Ruins and Blood

_**A/N:** Thank you all for the messages and reviews for last chapter! I'm glad that several of you found it to be a really great look into Olivia's background and that the spells Olivia uses are a nice change from the game!_

_Huge thanks to Pixie, as well as to my husband for rubbing the knots out of my shoulders during the rewriting process. :) Let's get into it!_

_[still accepting fan art and cover art – I'd love to see what you come up with!]_

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><p>The sacking of Griffon Wing Keep hadn't gone exactly the way Olivia had planned it, but few things ever had in the last few months since the Breach had opened. The group had no trouble dispatching the groups on the lower levels of the keep, since the Venatori seemed more than willing to throw themselves onto the party's blades, but the upper levels proved somewhat of a challenge.<p>

The only reason they had been able to get up to the flag pulley at the top of the tower was thanks to some clever spell-weaving from the three mages; they'd used spells that homed in on their adversaries' shields and shattered them before Varric and Sera had peppered them with arrows, leaving Bull to cleave through those who still remained after the initial shock.

They all shared grins at the top of the keep as Olivia shot a fireball at the old flag that flew before she replaced it with an Inquisition flag, the bright silver symbol glistening in the desert sun. "Cullen ought to be pleased we have a foothold out here, at least." Olivia remarked, and her sentiment was echoed by both Bull and Varric, who had seen the military advantage behind taking the keep for themselves.

Marking the keep on the map she kept with her, Olivia motioned to an undiscovered area of the map, frowning a little bit. They had discovered that there was a way to get to that area, where one of Corypheus' Venatori agents was likely hiding, but it was barred by two huge doors that were locked from the opposite side. "We need to find a way to get into this area." She looked around at her companions, and Solas appeared thoughtful as he pointed to the mountain range just to their left. "There appears to be a path leading through a canyon here, Herald. It looks like it feeds directly into where we want to go."

Smiling, Olivia made the marks on the map before rolling it up and stowing it away, hoisting her pack onto her shoulder a little higher. "Alright, let's get back out there. The sooner we find this bastard, the sooner we can get out of this hell hole." A collective nod from her companions told her they were ready to move out, and she took point as they walked back down to the keep's entrance, talking amicably about battle strategies and other nonsense.

Dorian walked alongside Olivia, grinning as Sera regaled them with tales of her experiments with cookies in the kitchens back at Skyhold, eventually telling them of a cookie he missed from Tevinter that was made with molasses, grains, and dried berries. Sera thought the cookies sounded disgusting, but Olivia made Dorian swear to find her a recipe for them so she could breathe new life into them. The two mages laughed at Sera's grumblings about how cookies weren't supposed to be made with fruit, but even she admitted she wanted to see what Olivia could do with them.

Conversation quickly moved from cookies to nameday feasts, and Olivia learned that both Dorian and Sera's namedays were quickly approaching. Frowning at herself for not discovering the information sooner, she spent the better part of the next hour trying to figure out what she would gift the two of them. She was brought back to reality, however, when they were stopped by Solas rather abruptly upon reaching a smaller canyon that they would have to cross before they could reach the paths.

The canyon, however, was emitting a very sickly looking yellow mist, and Olivia could smell sulfur. Cursing loudly, she pushed a hand through her hair as she tried to think of a way to cross. It only took her a moment, and when she figured it out, she pulled out a cloth from her bag and ripped it into equal strips for each of her companions. The strips of cloth were big enough to fit over their noses and mouths, and Olivia enchanted them so that they could still breath relatively normally without inhaling the noxious fumes.

Once she was sure everyone would be protected from the gasses rising from the canyon, she led her companions into the thick of it, being cautious as she called out where to put their feet. Visibility was poor, but she made sure that they took it slow enough to be safe while still hurrying across lest they find themselves food for the phoenixes.

When they reached the other side, Olivia gently tapped her staff on the ground as a ball of blue light hovered in front of her, seeking out a foothold that could be used to climb up. When she found it, she strapped her staff to her back and began to climb, calling it out to her companions. The entire trek across the sulfuric canyon took nearly two hours, but they made it safely across with no major injuries. Sera had a couple of scrapes on her arms, and Bull was nursing a headache from where he'd bumped into a couple of rocks, but the rest of her companions were unharmed.

Gathering the cloth back from her companions, Olivia stowed them away in her pack for the return journey, in case the path turned out to be a dead end. Squaring her shoulders, she pushed forward, climbing the narrow path that Solas had pointed out. They travelled in silence while climbing, their concentration on the placement of their feet, and each of them collapsed gratefully at the top of the mountain range, paying no mind to the sand that would inevitably invade their clothes.

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><p>Taking a moment to gather their breaths, they unhooked their packs and pulled out their water skins, pouring some of the precious liquid over their face and neck to cool off before they drank. When they could move without feeling like their bodies were going to spontaneously combust, they moved forward through the mountain pass, grateful for the small bit of shade that the walls of the pass threw down on them. The temperature difference between sun and shade was enormous, and the group made a point to stay in the shade as much as they could to increase their travel distance.<p>

There were several skirmishes with darkspawn along the pass, but they pressed through them with no difficulty at all, laughing at Varric as he grumbled about hating darkspawn more than ever since his escapades with Hawke some years earlier. When they reached the end of the pass, Olivia raised an eyebrow as she noticed some sort of structure that had been placed in order to traverse the rocks.

"Up we go, I suppose." She quipped dryly before making her way up the scaffolding carefully, not being too trusting of the rickety wooden structure. She needn't have worried, however, since she and their entire group made it to the top of the pass with little problems. Of course, when they got to the top, they immediately found themselves opposing a few more bands of darkspawn, and Olivia swore loudly as she shot spell after spell from her hands, forgoing the use of her staff for a time. Truthfully, she didn't need the aid of a staff, but she carried one regardless, just in case she had to channel a truly powerful spell like the one she had used at Therinfall.

She led her companions to what looked like a Tevinter ruin, and with the aid of both Bull and Varric, heaved open the heavy doors. When she stepped inside, she drew in a sharp breath as her eyes took in the stained glass and ornate pillars. Even the sand couldn't do much to hide the effortless beauty within such a place, nor could the darkspawn presence truly mar it.

They made their way through the ruins in record time, closing darkspawn tunnels and fighting both the infernal creatures and Venatori agents intent on slowing their advance toward their leader. The fights with both groups were easy won and somewhat dissatisfying, and Bull spent most of their escapades through the ruin's corridors grumbling about wanting a real fight.

Which is what he got when they walked outside of the ruins and entered the courtyard. Two massive giants had been lured inside the courtyard walls, and Olivia groaned as she set eyes upon it. "You've got to be kidding me!" she exclaimed, untying her staff from her back, having no doubt that she would need it. With a roar, Bull charged the giants, leaving little time for Olivia to react to the sudden changes to the field, and she shouted a curse at his back before she gave both Solas and Dorian instructions to hold until Varric and Sera had brought one of the two beasts to it's knees.

When it fell, Olivia hollered her next order at Dorian and Solas, which both were only too happy to oblige to. With sychronized precision, both mages slammed their staves into the ground, sending walls of flame hurtling straight for the giant's face. Bull, who was occupied with the giant that was still standing, whooped loudly as the flames engulfed the felled one, narrowly missing a swing to his face. Sera and Varric rained arrows down on the flaming giant, and it's death throes echoed in the empty courtyard moments later.

Turning her attention to the giant that Bull was grappling with, Olivia narrowed her eyes and focused on the knee joints. Pulling at her raw power, as she had several times before, she whirled her staff in her hands thrice before thrusting it into the grounds, chains of ice spewing from the point of impact and wrapping around the giant's legs, throwing off it's balance. Hollering at Bull to move, she rolled out of the way as the second giant fell, allowing Bull to plunge his battleaxe into it's skull with a roar that shook the ground.

Satisfied that both giants were dead, she walked over to Bull and smacked him upside the head for charging in like a moron, but clapped him on the back for a clean kill. The two of them shared a laugh and a few choice words as Sera and Varric combed the corpses and the yard for items. Once the task was complete, they headed out of the ruins and back into the desert, where Olivia caught the faintest pull of magic coming from her left.

"To the left. It feels like another ruin, though smaller than this one." She looked over at Solas for confirmation, and smiled when the elven mage nodded his assent. "Yes. There is an occularum not too far from us either, should you decide to collect more of those shards we've been gathering for research, Herald." Olivia nodded in agreement, having an inkling that the shards would come in handy later on down the line. "Alright then, let's head out in that direction." Solas took point alongside Olivia, guiding her as he had when they'd been searching out Skyhold, and the two shared conversation about fade spirits.

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><p>The rest of their journey was uneventful, much to the group's dismay. They captured the Venatori agent, who had all but thrown himself at their mercy as soon as they had come into view, and they had closed four more rifts while collecting shards the occularum had revealed. The agent was surprisingly helpful in their search, and Olivia wondered what exactly he was playing at. Regardless, the group unlocked the heavy door closest to where the scouting band they'd contacted when they'd first arrived was camped, and they relinquished the Venatori to them with strict instructions not to harm him.<p>

Olivia had noted some old Chantry trail signs upon arriving back at the scouting camp, and she decided to follow the trail, her curiosity getting the better of her. Sera would accompany the scouts back to Skyhold ahead of them to keep an eye on their prisoner, while Bull, Solas, Varric, and Dorian kept her company while she remained in the Approach, eager to scout the areas they had missed in their eagerness to catch the Venatori trails.

The Chantry trail was easy enough to follow, though where it led them was not a situation that Olivia had expected. To her dismay and to the others' surprise, the old trail led them straight to a dragon's nesting ground, where they found themselves face to face with a very angry dragon. "You're shitting me." Bull breathed, a glint in his eyes as he looked over at Olivia. "I can't believe it. Dragons are sacred to my people, it's true, but this...this is incredible." Olivia laughed softly, her mirth short lived as the dragon roared at them. "Well, I guess it doesn't want to play nice, then." Bull remarked dryly, making Olivia laugh even harder before the two of them charged in to provoke the beast, their companions hot on their heels.

A warning shout from Varric alerted Olivia to the flames that shot from the dragon's mouth just a few seconds afterward, and she threw herself harmless out of the way, rolling in the sand a ways before she stumbled back to her feet. Unsurprisingly, she noted with a wry grin once she was steady on her feet again, Bull was already in the dragon's face, swinging away like a madman and issuing his challenge to the great winged creature.

Shaking her head, Olivia shot spell after spell at the beast, her staff still secure on her back for the time being. She continued to cast without the aid of her staff for a time, rolling around in the sand when she needed to dodge and attempting to cover her ears so that the dragon's screeches didn't tear at her skull. The battle continued for over an hour as they tried everything they could to whittle away at the dragon's tough hide and firm resolve, and eventually she could see that they were managing to get to it, at least a little.

Some time later, she steeled herself as the dragon emitted an infuriated roar and stood up on it's hind legs before flapping it's massive wings rapidly, the gusts pulling at her frame slightly as she attempted to keep her footing. Varric and Dorian were struggling against the gale-force winds, Bull had jumped onto the dragon's back in an effort to escape the wind as well as gain access to a weaker point as he slashed away at the beast, and the entire battle was making her nervous with how long it had been going on. She could tell her companions were tiring; Bull had received several wounds from the dragon's teeth and claws, Dorian and Solas were running low on lyrium, Varric was struggling to remain standing, and it would mean fatalities if she didn't do something to turn the tide. Popping a cork on one of her lyrium potions, she downed the entire contents in a couple of seconds. Within moments, the magic in her blood surged, granting her a little extra boost to her power as she called on it.

Gripping her staff tightly, she pressed the end of it into the sand and focused her energy on the fleshy, sensitive part of the dragon's wings. After a moment of lining it up correctly, she unleashed a torrent of razor-sharp icicles, yelling out for her companions to duck. The tiny projectiles peppered the right wing of the beast, and the sheer amount of force behind each individual impact caused a tear to begin in the wing. The dragon roared angrily, but Olivia continued her relentless assault, and her quick thinking had given her companions just enough time to recover slightly.

Her spells were joined by Varric's arrows and Solas' quick lightning bolts, and Bull continued to slash away at the back of the dragon's neck, angering it even further than he already had. Dorian, who had stumbled into the sand when the buffeting of wings had begun, quickly clambered to his feet to join the fight, and called on the bones of the dead that surrounded the dragon to aid them.

Yelling out in surprise, Olivia lost focus for just a moment as corpses began to rush the dragon. The dragon, who had been focusing on Bull for a time, turned it's attention to the distracted mage and charged, snapping it's jaws as it thrashed around. Unable to react in time, Olivia threw up a very weak shield that the dragon tore straight through, and she cried out in pain as one of the dragon's claws grazed her. Bull, who was thankfully able to keep his grip on the dragon, seized the opportunity to drive his blade deep into the dragon's skull with an almighty roar. Blood spewed from the wound as the dragon roared in agony, throwing Bull off in a desperate attempt to save itself. It's attempts were fruitless, however, and it fell a short distance away from the group, a pitiful whine leaving it as it finally perished.

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><p>Despite defeating the magnificent creature, her companions' attention was on Olivia, who was knelt on the ground nearby, clutching her staff in an effort to remain on her feet. Blood was pouring from a wound on her neck and cheek, and the arm holding onto the staff was weakening thanks to a tear in the muscles at her collar. Bull strode over to her, and picked her up before walking back to Solas and Dorian, both of whom were ready with several poultices and some injury kits. "Snow, you can't keep throwing yourself into the fire like that!" Varric scolded her, worry etched onto his face. "None of us would know what to do without you at the helm of this crazy ship, so take it easy!"<p>

Olivia laughed weakly, glancing over at her friend as Solas and Dorian patched her up. "I managed to give you all enough time to do some major damage, though..." Varric shook his head angrily, rubbing his forehead. "That's all well and good, Snow, but none of it means a damn thing if we show up back at Skyhold with you dead! None of Thedas will be save if you don't at least **try** to be careful." Olivia frowned a little bit at the worry in his tone, and she immediately felt guilty. "Sorry Varric..." she murmured after a moment, blowing out a soft sigh. "You're right. I need to be more careful." She apologised to the rest of her companions as well, though they brushed it off and helped her to her feet once they were sure her wounds were healed enough.

"Come on, let's go and see what spoils await us in the dragon's hoard. Bull, do you think you could skin some of that dragon for the scales and the hide? Could make some really nice armour out of it, don't you think?" Olivia asked in an attempt to lighten the mood, and she was rewarded with a smile from her companions. "Dragon bone armour sounds like a nice deal for putting up with your recklessness, boss." Bull quipped, earning a laugh from everyone as they made their way to the beast's collection, eager to collect their prizes and head home..

The hoard was quite large, as they soon found out, and they discussed each item in it thoroughly before they divided them up. Olivia received a new staff and amulet, Solas was handed a set of ancient elven robes in a rather exquisite shade of emerald green, and Dorian managed to pilfer another set of robes in a dark navy blue. When they dug a little deeper into the pile of treasure, they found a few more surprises; Varric got a beautiful set of leathers, there was a shield that would do nicely for Cassandra, an ornate bow for Sera, and Bull cheered when he found a massive, jagged greatsword that would replace the axe he'd left buried in the dragon's skull quite nicely.

Once they had emptied the hoard, they headed over to the beast itself, where Bull and Varric methodically stripped it of hide and scales. Solas and Dorian preserved them with magic, as well as enchanting them so that they didn't drip blood everywhere, and they packed the materials in a separate, heavy pack that Bull ended up having to carry since the weight was impossible for anyone else to bear. Satisfied that their business in the approach was concluded, Olivia suggested that they all head back to the scouting camp and make for Skyhold, a notion that was agreed upon by all.

As they made their way back to the scout's camp, Olivia mused over everything that happened, and decided to voice her opinion once she'd reached a verdict of their deeds in the Approach. "You know, I've decided." All of her companions threw a look at her as she spoke.

"I really **hate** the desert."

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><p><em><strong>AN:**_ _Heehee, a little humour for everyone! Again, I hope this chapter wasn't too boring or too dry – I wanted it to be a little fun and combat-intense, since I've kind of skipped over a lot of the fights you have in the approach. _

_Also – Maker damn Olivia for being so reckless! She means well, though. _

_As always, don't forget to favourite, follow, and review! I love hearing what you all think!_

_See you all in the next chapter!_


	17. Scars

_**A/N: **I still can't believe that I've reached almost 9500 views! I've also received roughly 100 inbox messages and several reviews as well, and I'm beyond grateful that all of you are enjoying reading this story as much as I'm enjoying writing it. I wouldn't have kept going if it wasn't for your urging, so thank you, from the bottom of my heart. To celebrate, here is an early update! :)_

_That said, let's jump into it, shall we? As always, I'm still accepting art submissions, so let me see what you can do!_

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><p>Her companions had laughed at her for a good hour after her rather candid proclamation, and she had pretended to be rather insulted by their jesting, but she was actually quite relieved that they all got along quite well. Olivia had initially been worried about recruiting such a rag-tag band of followers, but she knew now that they would follow her to the end, and she had made rather good friends out of all of them. They had her back, and she had theirs.<p>

It took them four days to get out of the cesspit that was the Western Approach, and Olivia decided to do a bit of reconnaissance in the Exalted Plains as they were making their way back to Skyhold. Originally, she was just going to head straight to the Inquisition's stronghold, but something within her instincts had told her to investigate the plains. As she relayed the new plan to her companions, they were a little hesitant at first, but they went along with her, even if it was just to humour her. In the end, Olivia had been glad that she'd seen sense enough to comb the Plains for signs of Corypheus' influence.

The group spent two days closing rifts as well as saving the Orlesian army from the throes of civil war and walking corpses, the latter being a development that had startled Olivia half to death and caused her to swear rather loudly; much to the amusement of her companions and to the disbelief of several Orlesian nobles they came across. Once they had begrudgingly dealt with the demonic infestations as well as the army, they pressed deeper into the Plains.

As they had wandered, they had come across a hunter battling demons on a path that lead to an ancient elven burial ground that had become overrun with the fiends, and he bade them to bring a message to the nearby Dalish clan's keeper. After Olivia agreed to deliver the message, the group immediately set to vanquishing the vile beings that had made the burial grounds their home.

When the battles were over, an argument broke out over whether or not to search the crypts for a key to the massive central chamber door, an argument that did not go over well with Solas or Olivia herself. Neither mage wanted to defile the sacred grounds, for the spirits that pressed against the Veil there were already restless enough.

After almost an hour of relentless bickering Olivia managed to get the others to see her side of things, and they turned from the burial grounds, leaving them unspoiled. Instead, they turned their attention to several Venatori groups that they found scattered across the lower Plains. The Tevinter presence was threatening the nearby Dalish clan that had settled there, and Olivia was less than willing to let even a single Venatori live unless it was absolutely necessary. Dealing with the cultists was remarkably boring, as Bull made a habit of vocalising, but it was not a needless task.

When the last of the cultists fell, Olivia turned the group west to make for the Dalish camp, which they approached with caution and a neutral posture. While well-versed in stories of the nomadic elves, she had never actually had the honour of approaching them in the wilds of Thedas, and she found herself at a disadvantage. Fortunately, the clan's Keeper was welcoming enough as Olivia delivered the hunter's message as well as informing him that the elven burial grounds were safe once more. He had thanked them profusely, and had offered them one of the Dalish hunters as a recruit for the Inquisition, which Olivia had humbly accepted.

Satisfied that their business within the lower wilds of Orlais was concluded for the time being, Olivia turned the group toward Skyhold, eager to see Cullen again. The two had been communicating via one of Leliana's ravens, much to her companions' amusement. While they had teased her mercilessly about the constant smile she bore they always made sure to tell her that they were pleased she had found some happiness despite the recent troubles.

The journey from the Exalted Plains to Skyhold took longer than expected thanks to a severe blizzard that knocked three days off of their travelling time, and by the time the enormous fortress came into view, the group was grumpy, exhausted, and eager to get off their feet. Olivia's recently acquired injuries had begun to worsen thanks to lack of proper healing, and they were beginning to bother her, but she refused to slow down their journey. Instead, she chewed on a small dosage of elfroot stems to numb the pain before pressing onward.

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><p>When they finally walked through the gates of Skyhold nearly a week after leaving the Plains, Olivia's pain was almost unbearable, and her colouring was poor. However, her suffering momentarily vanished as she was swept up into the arms of her beloved commander; her companions chuckling at the sight of the usually very reserved former templar being overcome with emotion.<p>

Smiling warmly, Olivia gently threaded the fingers of her good hand through Cullen's blonde tresses as he held her, grateful for the support he was giving her as her injuries throbbed angrily. He pressed his lips softly to her shoulder, murmuring that he had missed her, uncaring if anyone heard his admissions. Thankfully, Olivia's companions left them alone after a moment of making sure that she was alright, and Olivia breathed out a soft sigh of relief as she buried her face against Cullen's neck, breathing deeply.

Of course, her relief was short lived as rather vicious twinges in her damaged arm caused her hiss in pain and drop her pack. The sound had Cullen on edge as he softened his hold on her, his amber eyes searching for the cause of her suffering. When he found it, his eyes darkened slightly before they met Olivia's again, the sight of her pale complexion and pained expression silencing the admonishment he'd been about to deliver.

Without uttering another word, he scooped her up into his arms and began to walk toward his office, ignoring the wolf-whistles from the soldiers in the courtyard. Olivia, who normally would have protested such a display, weakly curled into his chest. "I'm sorry..." she mumbled softly as he gently pushed open the door to his office, taking care not to bump into the threshold. She bit her lip as he declined to respond before he closed the door and walked her over to his chair, setting her down with an almost painful gentleness.

Once she was settled in the chair, he rose swiftly and procured a first-aid kit from the corner of the room before he returned to kneel before her. When he sat the kit down on the edge of the chair, Olivia could see that his hands were trembling, and it made her heart break. "Cullen..." she spoke softly, gently covering his hands with one of hers, biting her lower lip a little as he slowly raised his head toward her. When his gaze met hers, Olivia bit back a sob. The worry that darkened his amber eyes was almost tangible, and she gathered him to her, ignoring the painful thrum as her shoulder protested the gesture.

"I'm fine, Cullen...I promise, I'm alright." She murmured against his shoulder as he trembled in her embrace, and she felt his hands fist against her at the phrase. Frowning slightly, she pressed her lips to his shoulder in a continuous string of ghostly kisses and apologies, eventually falling silent when he didn't respond.

After what seemed like an eternity, Cullen spoke. "You promised you'd be careful from now on." he mumbled shakily, eventually relenting and wrapping his arms around her as he blew out a frustrated and worried sigh that made Olivia smile faintly. "I wouldn't be injured if I'd had a choice, my love." She murmured in reply, withdrawing to look up into his warm gaze. Her bright blue ones were full of silent apologies, and Cullen's gaze softened as he looked down at her. "I know." he admitted, kneeling back down as he returned to his original intent. "It doesn't stop me from worrying myself silly about your well-being out in the field, however."

Olivia laughed softly, shaking her head as she shrugged her cloak off to allow him access to her shoulder. "I get that enough from Varric and Dorian, funnily enough. Bull too. They're always chastising me every time I do something other than walk. They're always telling me, 'What would Curly think?' or 'I don't think our beloved Commander wants you to outmatch him in terms of scars, dear.' It's infuriating sometimes, but they mean well." Her dry response was met with the rumbling chuckle she had come to love, and Cullen smiled as he readied a salve for the new scars at her throat and shoulder. "Remind me to thank them for keeping an eye on you for me, then."

Rolling her eyes, Olivia fell silent for a moment, wincing a little as Cullen's fingers felt for the worst points of her injuries. "Did you not take a poultice for these?" He asked after a moment, sighing when she answered with a shake of her head. "Liv..." He frowned, and she blanched a little bit. "They needed them more than I did at the time," She quietly admitted, and he groaned. "Alright, well..." Olivia watched as he sat back on his heels for a moment, and she cocked an eyebrow as a flush crept into his cheeks. "What's the matter?" She asked softly, watching the blush darken.

"I uh...can't get to the wounds on your neck and shoulder while you have a shirt on." He rubbed the back of his neck slightly, making Olivia laugh. "Really? You're nervous about asking me to remove my shirt so you can treat a wound?" The crimson colouring crept higher into his face and Olivia gently kissed his ear. "Yes, well, I am a gentleman after all." He grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose as he rose, taking a few steps toward his office door. "I'll go and get one of our female healers."

Olivia stopped him before he could leave, shaking her head, "No." He turned to look at her in surprise, noting the faint blush creeping into Olivia's otherwise pale complexion. "I'd rather you do it. I...don't really trust the other healers here." She admitted sheepishly, rubbing her neck. "I usually do all my own healing, but I can't really see the injuries at my neck well enough to heal them." She finally revealed, the admission making much more sense. It explained why she had no other scars other than from the injuries Cullen or one of the other healers had had to treat.

"I see," He finally responded, easing a little of Olivia's worries as he walked back to her, kneeling down once more. "You're sure?" He asked quietly, obviously still worried about her pride. "Andraste's ass, Cullen, yes, I'm very sure." Olivia remarked dryly, wincing as she reached behind her back to undo the laces to her shirt. "Allow me, then." Cullen replied, earning a relieved smile from Olivia as she leaned forward so he could untie the lacing easier.

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><p>As his fingers worked at the lacing, Olivia bit back a smile. She could feel his hands trembling as he undid the knots, and she found herself falling even further in love with him for it. Olivia had been in several relationships where her partner had not cared for her comfort, and had instead only cherished her for her looks. Cullen's eagerness to take things slowly was one of the many things that Olivia adored about him; that, and the fact that he had not made her feel like she was being chased by him. He held meaningful conversations with her, laughed with her, and had taken time to truly get to know her.<p>

When she felt her shirt loosen slightly and Cullen's fingers withdraw, she smiled lightly at him in order to offer him some reassurance. She was met with a warm smile and another rather adorably dark flush, the latter making her laugh softly. "Relax, darling," She murmured, shaking her head. "You're treating this as if it were a lion about to be released from a cage." Cullen couldn't help but laugh at the analogy, pushing a hand through his golden hair.

Still giggling, Olivia gently pulled at the hem of her shirt, loosening the laces further before she gingerly drew the shirt over her head, revealing the lace finery beneath the shirt she wore. She heard Cullen's sharp intake of breath as she finally removed the garment and snickered softly to herself as he cleared his throat, likely steeling himself against the sight of her.

Olivia was well proportioned, as her tailor liked to remind her every time she was measured for new armour. Her breasts were softly rounded, sitting a tiny bit lower on her chest than most women's, but they were full and supple, measuring roughly thirty-two inches. The size of her chest meant that she could not go without some form of support beneath her armour, so she had invested in a small fortune's worth of finery, including the piece that Cullen could now see. Her waist was narrow but not overly so, measuring at twenty-two inches, and her hips flared out slightly at a comfortable thirty-four inches, marking her figure as relatively hourglass in shape, though not as a sharply defined.

Despite her rather slender figure, Olivia had always had qualms about others seeing her in any form of undress, including her former partners, most of whom had never seen her in anything other than breeches and a soft linen shirt, so she was understandably worried about what Cullen would think of her figure once he saw it, especially given the addition of the scar that travelled from her left shoulder straight across her chest to just under the right side of her ribs.

Biting her lip a little bit as she calmed her own nerves, she pulled her head from where it had been hidden within the fabric, glancing up at her beloved warrior. His eyes were, surprisingly, fixed on her face rather than her newly nude torso, and Olivia's respect and admiration for him grew quite a bit. Not that it wasn't obvious that he wanted to cast his gaze downward, however, if the slight shifting was anything to go by.

Offering him a small smile, she settled into an uncompromising position so that he could treat the scars, crossing her legs beneath her. His eyes wavered for a moment before a small frown tugged at the scar on his lip, and she knew then that he'd caught sight of the scar that Envy had bestowed upon her. She knew that it was an unattractive scar, and she'd been worried about what he would think of it ever since she'd gotten it, though those fears had been dormant for some time now.

Her cool blue eyes met the warmer amber of Cullen's as he gently rubbed some of the salve into his fingertips to warm it up before he brought his hand up to hover over her neck, shoulder, and collarbone. His eyes searched hers for either approval or dismissal, and Olivia gently leaned forward to press a kiss to his lower lip, murmuring softly, "It's alright. I trust you." Her words were rewarded with a soft, relieved smile before he gently swiped the salve over the wounds.

The salve stung quite a bit, and Olivia bit her tongue as she hissed in agony, grinding her teeth together once she'd released her tongue. Cullen offered her an apologetic look as he continued to treat the wounds, the salve working its way into the open sores to knit the muscles below back together as well as repair the skin. "Shit, that hurts." Olivia whispered through her teeth, her hands gripping the arms of his chair so hard that they were turning white. "I know...I'm sorry..." Cullen murmured softly, pressing his forehead to hers gently, wishing he could ease the pain somehow.

When the throbbing subsided and the salve had been worked into her wounds fully, Cullen looked up at Olivia questioningly, his fingers gently resting at the start of the scar Envy had given her. "You got this at Therinfall." He murmured and Olivia answered with a pained whisper, "Yes." Her eyes betrayed her worry, but before she could move to put her shirt back on and cover it, Cullen gently leaned forward and pressed his lips to the scar's beginning.

Olivia stilled almost immediately, drawing in a sharp breath as Cullen withdrew, his eyes on hers as he drew his fingers downward along the scar. His touch was painfully gentle, not to mention more arousing than anything Olivia had ever experienced, and she bit down on the inside of her cheek as Cullen's hand made its way down along the scar. She gave in to a smile as a flush crept into his cheek when his fingers skimmed the inner curves of her breasts, her heart hammering beneath his touch.

When he reached the end of the scar, his expression was unreadable. Olivia swallowed a little bit, her heart still racing at a million beats per minute and it damn near leaped out of her chest when he finally looked up at her. His gaze was dark with desire, the molten amber colour almost black with the same arousal Olivia's own blue eyes echoed, and he snaked his hand around to her back after a moment of it resting at her ribs, pulling her to him as he rose quickly with her; easily lifting her slender frame from where she'd been seated on his chair. Olivia gasped in surprise, though the sound was suppressed a moment later as Cullen's mouth descended upon hers.

Groaning softly, her fingers threaded into his golden hair as Cullen shifted his hands to her backside, encouraging her to wrap her legs around his hips as he supported her weight easily. Olivia couldn't help but grin wickedly at the rather cheeky gesture, and she returned it by pulling Cullen's lower lip between her teeth and biting on it roughly before sucking gently to soothe the pain. The bite drew a strangled sound from the warrior's throat, and she chuckled softly as he withdrew, his forehead pressed against hers.

"The things you do to me..." he whispered hoarsely as he held her tightly, making her chuckle again. "The same could be said to you, Commander.." She murmured cheekily, gently raking her nails over the back of his neck, eliciting another groan from him as he gently set her back down on her feet. "As much as I would love to spend the rest of the day here with you," he began, earning another wicked smile from Olivia as she pulled her shirt back over her head, "- we still have a few urgent matters to discuss in the War Room."

Olivia grumbled softly as she braided her hair in the same up-do she'd had in the Western Approach, blowing out a soft sigh. "I can't wait until we get a break from all this nonsense." She mumbled softly, making Cullen chuckle warmly as he pressed another kiss to her forehead after walking over to her.

"Me either."

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><p><em><strong>AN:**_ _Thanks for reading! Things are getting a little more raunchy at Skyhold, no? It would seem our favourite Commander has a thing for scars. Or maybe just Olivia's scars. :p_

_As always, please favourite, follow, and review if you haven't already! I'd love to hear from more of you!_

_See you all in the next chapter!_


	18. Coming Clean

_**A/N:** As always, thank you so much to everyone who has left a review/message telling me how much they love this story! You guys all mean a lot to me! I still can't believe I've hit 10000 views! :) That said: I would **love** to hear more from you in the reviews! (my inbox is getting strained, haha!) Many thanks to **DARK-EVIL-GODS21** and **Everlastingfight** for their kind words and messages of support, as well as to Princess of Mirkwood2 for always wanting more! Huge thanks to Pixie, my wonderful beta – I wouldn't have gotten this far without her help :)_

_Let's get into it!_

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><p>Nearly two months had passed since her return to Skyhold and the "moment" she had shared with Cullen after he'd helped treat her new scars, and her companions' teasing had increased quite a bit since then. Olivia knew why; she and Cullen had been spending a great deal of time wearing either a dark crimson flush or a secretive smile whenever they came upon one another, and they often lost their train of thought during conversations had with their companions.<p>

Varric had been the first to point this out after the two of them had returned to the main hall immediately after the kiss, and his astute observational skills had only served to darken the already present flush they both bore. In typical Varric fashion, he had teased them mercilessly about it, and they had both made hasty retreats toward the War Room.

Next to join the firing squad had been Dorian, the clever Tevinter mage having managed to corner Olivia one afternoon in the library after she had been returning from a discussion about her family with Leliana out on the battlements. Of course, Solas had intervened when he sensed Olivia's distress, and Dorian had ruffled her hair playfully before dropping the subject. It had taken her several hours to get her colouring back to normal.

Bull and Sera had been the worst of all her companions, making constant sexual remarks and suggestions about the nature of her and Cullen's relationship whenever either of them were in earshot, and the poor commander had suffered a night of relentless teasing by the two of them when they had all settled down to play Wicked Grace sans Olivia, who had elected to catch up on much-needed paperwork. Cullen had come back to his office completely red-faced and flustered, which left little question as to what had happened. Olivia, who had been dropping reports off in his office, had been the first to witness what Cullen was like when backed into a corner; it was rather endearing, to say the least.

They had also managed to steal precious few moments away from the everyday happenings of the stronghold, and they used their alone time to get to know each other a little better than they already had. At first, it had been over games of chess, where Cullen would tease every time Olivia lost, or new card games that Olivia taught him from her years in the Circle. Eventually, it had escalated to spending their mealtimes together up on the battlements or in Cullen's office, laughing over a glass or two of Antivan wine they stole from the cellars.

The two of them had even found time to hone Cullen's templar skills as well as strengthen Olivia's defense against Templars and other warriors. She knew how to handle a blade well enough in terms of offensive capabilities, but when it came to defending herself without the aid of a staff, her barriers were weak and she could not hold a parry for very long at all. Cullen had been painstakingly patient with her, and his recruits had even pitched in a time or two, eager to lend their leader a little more strength.

Instead of hurting morale, as she and Cullen had feared, learning that the Inquisitor still made mistakes from time to time was actually quite helpful for their recruits. It allowed them to see that she was human, just as they were, and not above scrapping in the sparring ring with the rest of them.

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><p>Shaking her head, Olivia rubbed her face a little bit before staring down the seemingly never-ending stack of papers placed on her desk, blowing out a soft sigh as she settled back down to read through and sign whatever needed to be signed. In order to make the task slightly less coma-inducing, she began to hum softly, smiling as she remembered songs she'd sung with her younger brother before she'd been sent to the Circle.<p>

Halfway through the stack of papers and thirty songs later, Olivia paused for a moment to look out of the balcony doors, which she had left open slightly in order to cycle cool air through her quarters. It was nearly dark, and she realised that she had missed dinner with her companions, seeing as Cullen had also elected to spend the day catching up with his paperwork.

Biting her lip softly against a girlish smile at the thought of Cullen, she rose fluidly before walking out onto the stone of the balcony, leaning against the railing as her blue eyes gazed at the setting sun. Hues of purples, oranges, and blues splashed across the snowy mountains, and starts began to peer out from behind the brilliant bursts of light, drawing a smile across Olivia's lips before she decided to do something she hadn't done in quite some time; Olivia prayed.

Clasping her hands together tightly and supporting most of her weight on her forearms, Olivia bent her head slightly, allowing memories to rush to her as she began to recite the Chant of Light, something she had not done in its entirety since she was in the Circle during the services they held in the Chantry there. She had also recited the entire Chant with her younger brother Max when she was a small girl, since Max had been training with their father to one day become a Templar. Aside from then, she only voiced a few verses during times of sorrow and hardship, and she kept her voice silent during morning services at Skyhold, where she paid service to the Maker at the side of her devout companions.

The memory of her younger brother brought another ghostly smile to her face as she continued to pray, though her words became more unsteady as more memories assaulted her. However, Olivia did not waver from her task, knowing that she needed to confront her demons alone before she could expect Cullen to confront them with her.

They had been talking more at length about their pasts since her return from the desert, and Olivia had learned that Cullen had been quite a different young man before the events of the Fifth Blight and the Mage Rebellion. He'd been carefree, happy, and devoted to his duties without being overzealous or unjust in his actions, something many Templars had forgotten, even before the rebellion had begun. In turn, Olivia had begun to divulge small pieces of information about herself, still skirting over the topic of her younger brother with vague descriptions and evasive answers.

At first, Cullen hadn't really seemed to mind that she avoided that particular topic, but as they had continued into their relationship, Olivia could tell that he was becoming concerned with the fact she was hiding it from him. Cullen had spilled every secret he had, where Olivia had told him quite a lot about herself, save for that particular detail, and the tense silences that often followed her evasiveness were starting to wear on her. She knew that she couldn't hide it forever, but she was too terrified to tell him the truth for fear of him pushing her away.

As she entered the final verses of the Chant, she heard the heavy wooden door to her quarters open and close quietly before familiar, careful footfalls approached her, stopping at the balcony's open door where her voice would have caught his attention. Olivia finished the final canticle a short time after his arrival, and she straightened her posture before she heard him step behind her and wrap his arms around her slender frame. His warmth was a welcome change from the cool evening air, and she leaned into his embrace willingly, inhaling the familiar scent of ivory and leather that always accompanied him. "Did I disturb you?" she heard him murmur, the words a warm rumble.

"No, of course not." She replied with a genuine smile, covering his arms with her own as she hugged him from where she stood in front of him. "When you didn't come by my office after dinner, I figured I'd change things up and come to you, knowing you'd likely gotten lost in the paperwork." Cullen admitted as he pressed his lips to her shoulder softly, drawing a soft laugh from her. "I'm sorry I worried you- I had no idea how long I would be working on the mountain of paperwork that desperately needed my attention." She turned in his arms then, her cool blue eyes meeting his much warmer amber ones, and he offered her a warm smile. "I don't think I've ever heard the Chant recited so completely in quite some time." Cullen glanced down at her then as he spoke warily, and Olivia winced a little bit sheepishly before she cleared her throat.

"I was hoping that the words would lend some strength." She began, stepping out of his embrace before catching one of his hands with her own and gently pulling him into the room, closing the doors behind him and lighting a couple of candles. Cullen's expression had become apprehensive, and Olivia didn't blame him for feeling a little worried. "I've been meaning to talk to you about this for a while, but I just...couldn't. Not before confronting it myself first, at least." She looked down at her hands after a moment, biting her lower lip slightly as she warred with how to start their discussion. She felt Cullen reach for her and gently pull her to where he now sat on the edge of her bed, and Olivia offered him a weak smile before she continued. "I'm ready to talk about Max."

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><p>At the mention of Max's name, Olivia felt Cullen's posture tense a little bit, and she knew he was worried about what toll this would take on her, especially considering the usual pained and faraway expression that graced her face when Max came up in conversations. However, she needed to tell him. She wanted no secrets between the two of them, and she needed to know how he would take what she was going to tell him.<p>

Drawing in a deep breath and praying her confidence held, Olivia began to speak, her eyes on her hands the entire time. "Maxwell Frederik Trevelyan was a year younger than I was, and every bit my parent's favourite child. He had a warrior's spirit, a Revered Mother's charm, and a Templar's discipline, even as a boy. He never got into trouble that he couldn't get out of, and he was a model noble child, at least out of the house. The two of us were inseparable; if you found one of us, the other was usually never too far away." Olivia smiled fondly as she spoke of her brother, doing her best to keep her voice steady.

"Max knew of my magical talents long before my parents ever did – he was the one who encouraged me to study from the books in our libraries as well as practice when we were out in the woods together. He helped me nurture my talents; he never feared magic the way my parents or anyone else did, for that matter. He knew that it was a gift given by the Maker, albeit it a temperamental one, but it was part of a mage as much as a sword was an extension of a warrior's arm." She paused a moment, gathering her thoughts before she spoke again.

"Max had been studying and training to become a Templar from the time he was three- I remember my father and him 'sparring' every morning before breakfast." Another ghostly smile tugged at her lips, soon replaced by a tense expression. "Every member of my family has served the Chantry and the Maker in some regard, be it in lip-service or in actual service to Him. Max and I were to be no different, regardless of our nobility." Olivia shook her head in annoyance before continuing, her hands trembling slightly.

"We went out into the woods the night before Max was to be given to the Chantry, as we had every night for two years. He was helping me practice magic and I was helping him sense it, so that he could be of more use to the Templar Order." She shook her head angrily, clearly distraught over the memory. Cullen gently rest a hand over hers, and she looked up at him, her blue eyes bearing a haunted expression. "You don't have to tell me, Liv." He murmured, earning a shaky reply of, "I want to."

Steadying her voice, Olivia continued, looking back down at her hands. "Ever since I had discovered my magic, I had never managed to manifest a full spell, not ever, and Max knew he was in no danger from me. Or so we both thought." Closing her eyes and clenching her teeth, Olivia recanted the memory that plagued her every living moment. "He told me to pretend that he was a Templar who was hunting me, and I was an apostate mage fighting for my life. I was told to fling whatever magic I could at him so that he could practice dodging and blocking the attacks. It was a game we both played often, so his requests weren't strange to me." Olivia swallowed hard before adding, "I called on what little power I had at the time, and thought of what spell I would try to throw at a templar to get free." Her voice cracked slightly despite her bravado, and she struggled with her next admission. "I unknowingly cast a Crushing Prison on him. All I remember is Max screaming, a violent flash of blue light, and then Max was on the ground, motionless." She whispered, her entire body shaking as her fists clenched.

"I ran to him, thinking he was just playing dead in order to trick me. Until I realised that blood was running from his mouth, and his body was bent at an unnatural angle." Olivia swallowed thickly before she spoke again, her voice barely audible. "I remember screaming his name over and over again until my parents came. My magic must have been unstable, because I vaguely recall my mother's cloak hem catching fire when she bent to pick me up." She shook her head again, and Cullen drew her to him, expelling a breath he hadn't realised he had been holding. His embrace caused Olivia to fall apart, and she buried her face against his chest.

"She slapped me then, before she dragged me by the arm roughly and threw me into a room on the lower floors of the estate. I stayed there until the Templars came for me." Olivia sobbed, trembling uncontrollably as her hands fisted in Cullen's cloak. "You know the rest..." She whispered before she finally allowed herself to succumb to the grief, a little over eighteen years after the fact. There was little Cullen could do or say to ease her pain, so he simply held her tightly until she had cried it all out. He finally understood why she had been so uneasy to talk about Max; she was responsible for his death, albeit not purposefully. It also explained why Olivia had tried everything she could to avoid killing other people; she preferred negotiation and diplomatic plays versus outright displays of power.

Gently pulling away from her, he tilted her chin up so that he could look at her, and Olivia swallowed hard, fear flickering across her glassy eyes. "I think no less of you now than I did before." he murmured, pressing his forehead to hers. "It was an accident, Liv. You were young, both of you. It was just 'pretend' to you both back then. You didn't kill him on purpose." Olivia felt a huge weight lift from her shoulders as he told her that he still loved her, and a strangled sound escaped from her throat before he drew her to him again, wanting to comfort her. Olivia managed to murmur a very shaky thank you, and she felt him smile before he pressed his lips to the top of her head, holding her to him.

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><p><em><strong>AN: **Sorry for such a short chapter, especially after the last few monster updates! I felt like it was finally time for Olivia to spill her secrets, as well as come to terms with her brother's death._

_Back to the romance in the next chapter :p_

_As always, please favourite, follow, and review! I love hearing what you guys have to say, and it's a really valuable way for me to get your feedback!_

_See you all in the next chapter!_


	19. Claimed by the Lion

_**A/N: **Thanks for all the feedback regarding the last chapter – I'm doing the best I can not to establish Liv as a "Mary-Sue" type character, because she really isn't, but a few of you pointed out that the tragedy of losing her brother was a little cliché. Perhaps, but it's part of her story. :)_

_That said, let's get into it! [Please be forewarned – this chapter is NSFW as it contains detailed sex. A few of you may think this is a drastic change in direction from the last chapter, and it is, but it is a necessary one. All will be explained in due time.]_

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><p>When Olivia finally managed to steady herself after her admissions, she withdrew from Cullen's warm embrace, smiling weakly at him before she excused herself to wash her face and calm herself down a little. His acceptance of what had happened was slightly unnerving to her, and it felt a little surreal. Olivia leaned against the raised basin of the sink, drawing in a deep breath as she stared at her reflection, disbelief still etched into her gaze. She had honestly expected him to be disgusted by her, or to push her away once she'd admitted to what had happened. But he hadn't. He'd comforted her, held onto her as she finally came to terms with her grief.<p>

Eighteen years had gone by since Max's death by her hands, and she had never managed to find the strength to face those demons. Now, at twenty four years old, she had finally come to terms with it. Not because she wanted to, but rather because she **needed** to. The last nine months had put quite a bit of her former actions into perspective for her, and it was all thanks to Cullen. He had held her up as she'd cried over the losses at Haven; he had yelled at her for almost getting herself killed on several occasions. He had treated her scars and helped her heal more wounds than she'd ever thought possible, both physical and mental. He was her protector, her confidant, her saving grace.

Because of him, Olivia had finally found the strength to face her worst demons ever: guilt and regret. The two emotions had weighed heavily on her for so long that she did not remember what kind of person she had been without them. Most of Olivia's decisions were made with no additional thought as to the consequences of her actions; only since meeting the blonde commander had Olivia ever taken a few moments to consider other possible options instead of speeding down the most logical path. Cullen was responsible for a radical change in her, and now that he had accepted her admissions and reassured her that she was not a bad person, Olivia felt a thousand pounds lighter.

Smiling faintly as colour began to reappear in her cheeks, Olivia splashed water onto her face and pulled a comb through her hair to detangle it once she'd loosened all the braids. She very rarely wore her hair completely loose, but her hair fell in long waves that framed her face once she'd finished pulling the comb through it, the raven strands curling slightly tighter at the ends. Running her fingers through it after setting the comb down, Olivia managed to loosen the strands even further, giving her hair body and movement as she did.

She also wanted to change into something a little less confining than her usual keep attire, and after deliberating for a brief moment, she elected to don a soft silk nightdress in a rather flattering navy blue that had been hanging on a stand in the washroom before she wandered back out to Cullen, pulling a long silken robe over her shoulders to stave off the chill present in her room as well as to cover up a bit more of her skin so as not to cause her beloved to have an aneurysm.

The surprised look on Cullen's face regarding her new attire made her laugh softly and sport a flattering blush, and she twirled for him when she stopped in front of the blonde warrior, a cheeky smile tugging at her mouth when Cullen flushed slightly. The nightdress ended just past her mid-thigh, and the hems were made of a black lace. The neckline also dropped a little bit, revealing the upper swells of her breasts quite tastefully as well as a little of her scars. Noting the way that Cullen swallowed hard when his eyes caught sight of the scars he'd just treated on full display beneath the finery, Olivia decided to be a little bit evil.

"Cat got your tongue, Commander?" Olivia teased, her voice dropping slightly and gaining a seductive undertone as she rested a hand on her hip. A wry grin tugged at her mouth as she observed him, and her teasing was rewarded by a soft groan as Cullen fell back against the covers, mumbling softly as he covered his face to hide the blush that had darkened at her comment.

Olivia could see the immediate effects of her presence, especially in the ensemble she had on, and she bit her lip slightly against the giggle that threatened to bubble up in her throat. Cullen's breathing had picked up slightly, and, she noted with a grin as her eyes travelled his muscular form, his armour wasn't very good at hiding the **physical** effects she had on him. Before she could torment him more by commenting on his obvious excitement, he spoke again. "You're going to be the death of me." His voice was strained and slightly husky, and it spoke further as to the effect that Olivia had on him.

She responded with a gentle laugh before she stepped closer to him, her footsteps soft against the stone floor of her quarters. Deciding not to torment poor Cullen even further than she already had, Olivia eventually settled down beside him to give him time to compose himself, though she had doubts that he ever would. The cat-like grin she still wore grew even further as Cullen peered out from between his fingers at her, though her expression changed quite rapidly as she noted the look of longing written all over her commander's face. She had seen that look only once before, shortly before the two of them had shared a rather passionate kiss, and even then it had shaken her to the core. This time was no different.

Olivia watched with curious blue eyes as Cullen pushed himself up onto his elbows, his molten amber gaze never leaving hers. There were several unspoken questions hiding within them, and Olivia bit down on her lower lip slightly as he repositioned himself a little closer to her, one of his hands gently pushing a strand of her raven hair from her face. As he did, his hand brushed softly against her cheek, and she automatically leaned into his touch, eliciting a smile from him before he spoke.

"Olivia, I..." Cullen paused as he mulled over what to say next, his face inches from her own. His hesitation had Olivia panicking briefly, and she swore she could hear her heart rate pick up quite quickly. She drew in a breath and made to shift away from him slightly before she caught sight of the predatory smirk that had made it's way onto Cullen's handsome face. The expression on his face caused her to pause her actions and grimace inwardly. He'd seen the expressions of longing that crossed her own face, Maker damn him, and Olivia had played right into his hands.

Growling softly beneath her breath at his victory in getting her to silently admit to him how much she wanted him, Olivia almost missed his next admission. "I wanted to find the perfect moment to show you exactly how much you mean to me." He began, rising and walking a few steps away from the bed, facing toward the balcony door they had entered through before Olivia had revealed the truth about Max. He stood with his hands behind his back, and Olivia's heart went out to him as she heard the tremor in his voice. "But the longer I hold out for that moment, the more I have come to realise just how badly I need you."

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><p>A smile worked it's way onto Olivia's face as he openly admitted his desire for her, and when he fell silent with his head bowed, she rose silently. Making her way to him, she gently ran her hands up along his back and back down his arms, smirking faintly as his body naturally tensed at the touch before he relaxed. Swallowing slightly as a jumble of emotions fought for dominance, Olivia took one of his hands in hers before she began walking backwards toward the bed, hoping beyond hope that the expression on her face would tell him silently what he wanted to hear: she needed him just as badly as he needed her.<p>

An understanding smile played across Cullen's face for a brief moment before he closed the distance between them in two long strides, gathering her to him with strong yet gentle arms. His sudden movement had caused Olivia to step back slightly, the backs of her knees pressing against the edge of the mattress as her hands came up to his sides, catching a hold of his cloak. The soft, alarmed giggle that arose from Olivia's throat was silenced almost instantly as Cullen's mouth descended on hers in a searing kiss, and she smiled against his lips as his hands came up to cradle her face. She didn't get much time to savour the moment, however, for desire quickly swept them up in a violent storm.

Cullen's mouth soon moved from her lips to her throat, and Olivia's grip in his cloak tightened as he trailed kisses along her jugular to her collarbone. His hot breath against her neck and shoulder set her nerves on fire, and she heard him mumble something incoherent against her skin before she felt him gently push her backwards. The two of them landed in a heap on the bed, and nervous, breathless laughter erupted from the both of them as their gazes locked. Cullen held himself over Olivia's smaller frame, one of his knees slightly parting her slender thighs. His amber eyes studied her face, asking a silent question of "Are you sure?"

Rolling her eyes in exasperation, Olivia pulled him down to her roughly, her teeth seeking purchase with his lower lip. When they latched on, she bit down softly, sucking at the skin to soften the sting. She heard Cullen hiss softly, the muscles in his arms straining against letting him fall atop her. She snickered softly at him, and he bent his head to the small junction of her neck and shoulder, biting it roughly before dragging his teeth against the skin and closing his lips against it. The action drew a strangled groan from Olivia's throat, and her hands came up to unlatch his cloak from his pauldrons, impatience finally getting the better of her. Of course, being inexperienced with undoing the heavy metal armour made her task slightly harder, and she ground her teeth as her fingers fumbled with the buckles and clasps

She made a small sound of protest as Cullen rose, still kneeling astride one of her legs, and undid his pauldrons for her in one swift movement, the metal falling safely on the bed beside her before clattering to the floor and making Olivia laugh softly. Cullen shared her mirth for a brief moment before he bent back down to her, his hands on either side of her head as he brought his lips back down to hers. However, instead of capturing her mouth in another kiss, he let them hover over her own, drawing a quiet plea from her, a sound that surprised them both. A rumbling chuckle escaped Cullen before he relented, closing the distance between their mouths as he'd done several times since their relationship began some nine months previously.

Olivia, not willing to let him escape her clutches once again, threaded her fingers through his golden hair, gently scraping her nails over the back of his neck as she remembered the sound he'd made the first time she'd done it. As she predicted, a low growl emitted from Cullen's throat before he withdrew briefly, giving Olivia a brief window of opportunity.

Seizing it, she drew her hands up his chest gently, relishing the shudder that rippled through him before she pushed him back up to his knees. She pulled herself up into a sitting position shortly after, and grinning wryly at him before she began to undo the buttons to his linen shirt. Once she'd undone the last button, she slid the shirt from his shoulders, marvelling at the sight of his toned and broad chest. Biting her lip, she dragged the shirt off completely, taking a moment to skim her hands along his abdominal muscles and making him draw in a soft, sharp breath.

When Olivia looked back up at him, her eyes were dark with arousal, an emotion that was mirrored in Cullen's golden gaze. "You're overdressed, my Lady." he stated simply, his voice low and husky. His voice had Olivia trembling with desire, and he grinned at her knowingly, the expression tugging at the scarred side of his mouth. He slid his hands along her shoulders gently, the gesture reassuring even as his fingers dragged her robe and the straps of her nightdress downward toward her wrists. His eyes never left Olivia's as the fabric shifted to bare her upper body to him, and he felt her shudder when he brought his hands back up to her shoulders once her arms were free of both the robe and the straps.

As Olivia watched him with hungry blue eyes, Cullen eased her back to lay against the bed, still kneeling between her thighs. She hummed softly in approval as he began to trail his hands down from her shoulders, skirting gently over her collarbone before descending lower. As he move his hands over her skin, his eyes never once left her own. Eventually, his fingers traced the curves of her breasts before he cupped each one gently. With a predatory smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, Olivia felt a rush of heat race through her blood as Cullen flicked a thumb over one of her dusty-rose nipples, eliciting a small sound from her throat as it hardened beneath his touch. He repeated the action against her other nipple, and Olivia's back arched involuntarily, pressing the sensitive peak against his palm.

Olivia protested when Cullen removed his hands from her skin, placing them on either side of her body to support his weight as he leaned back down to her. He bit her lower lip softly, effectively silencing any more of her protests and returning the bite she'd given him earlier before he began his torturous trail of kisses once again. She drew in a sharp breath as he continued the trail lower, a quiet but incoherent plea leaving her lips as he brought his hands up along her sides lightly, tracing her curves. With each movement of his hands and his mouth, Olivia felt an intense heat building at her core, and she bit down on her lip to quell the ridiculous sound of need that threatened to spill from her.

As his hands travelled the length of her body and his mouth assaulted her with kisses, Olivia moved her hands back into his hair gently, tugging softly when she felt him bit the upper swell of her right breast, just below the beginning of the scar she'd received at Therinfall. She felt him smile against her skin when she made another soft sound of approval, and she trembled further as he brought his hands back up to support his weight.

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><p>Olivia made to question what he was up to when she suddenly felt his weight being redistributed, but the question died on her lips as she felt Cullen's mouth suddenly trail over her nipple where his hands had been moments before, eliciting a groan as he gently pulled at the sensitive peak with his lips. The sensation caused her to arch her back yet again, and the chill of the air in the room stiffened the soft mound of flesh even further, almost to the point of it being painful. "Maker, Cullen." She managed to breath through her teeth, and she felt him laugh softly against her skin. "Mmm...my apologies, my lady." The lie was obvious and it was accompanied by another scrape of Cullen's teeth before he withdrew, his eyes travelling back to Olivia's face.<p>

His eyes were almost black with desire, and Olivia trembled with the intensity of his gaze. When he offered her a chesire-cat grin, Olivia couldn't help but return the smile, though it vanished a brief moment later as Cullen brought himself back up to his knees. His hands trailed along her bare skin curiously, drawing smaller shudders from her occasionally when he found her ticklish areas. His touch was gentle, almost as if he were afraid to break her, and it shattered any resolve Olivia still had left.

Her teeth caught her lower lip once again as Cullen's hands found the hem of the silken garment that hid the rest of her slender form from his wicked amber eyes, and she gently arched her back as he eased it over her head. A furious blush stained Olivia's pale skin as her lover's eyes took in the sight of her almost-nude body, the only garment left being a flimsy piece of lace that shielded her heated core.

Almost immediately, a hum of approval quelled any concerns Olivia had over whether or not Cullen liked what he saw, and she was further reassured by another tantalising kiss. "Beautiful." He stated simply, causing her blush to grow even darker and elicit a quiet chuckle from him. "I'm not..." She protested lightly as she gazed up at him with slightly hooded eyes, but he shook his head in response before dipping his head to press his lips to the flesh above her hammering heart. "You are."

Him telling her how beautiful she was made her heart swell, and Olivia knew that at this point, there was no fighting it back: she was hopelessly, irrevocably in love with him. Drawing in a shaky breath, she brought her hands up along his forearms, tracing the muscles there before travelling up toward his shoulders, grinning slyly as she felt him tremble at her touch. He had quite a few scars of his own on his torso and her fingers traced each one as they skimmed toward his belt, pausing when they reached the metal implement that kept his pants in place.

A short nod from him was all the permission she needed; in one swift movement, her fingers deftly undid the buckle of his belt and the button of his black leather pants. With a wicked smile, Olivia moved the fingers of her right hand slightly lower, ghosting over the centre seam. A quiet groan left Cullen's lips, and Olivia felt him throb beneath her touch, even despite the layers of fabric that separated her skin from his. "Liv..." Cullen breathed softly, need evident in his tone.

Not wanting to torture him any further than she had, Olivia pushed his pants off of his hips, her eyes flickering over the muscles in his legs before she raised her gaze to the tight linen shorts that hid his entirety from her curious hands. Looking up at Cullen with a wicked smile that had him swallowing hard as he struggled to maintain his balance as he remained suspended over her, Olivia hooked her index fingers into the elastic waist of the shorts before shimmying them down his hips to join his leather pants, freeing him completely.

Snickering softly at the hiss Cullen emitted as his skin was exposed to the cool air of the room, Olivia allowed her gaze to drop, fully appreciating the man above her. She'd been expecting the warrior to be a wall of muscle and well-proportioned, but nothing had prepared her for what he possessed below his waistline. Fully erect, Cullen was much larger than any of her former lovers, and the package he presented was rather pleasing. The throbbing mass of muscle and blood vessels that greeted her was roughly an inch shorter than the length of her forearm, and its girth was proportionate. The mushroom-shaped head of his phallus was already purple and glistening, and the realisation that she had caused such a reaction made a thrum of desire radiate through her entire body, nethers included.

Her first thought as she took in the sight of him was _Dear Maker, how the hell am I going to get __**that**__ to fit?_, but she shook those thoughts from her head as she drew her hand up to hover over him. Biting her lip, she skimmed a finger gently from the tip of him to the base, where her hand met a well-groomed sea of blonde curls. Her free hand came up to gently cup his sack, and she was rewarded with a heady groan as she squeezed him softly at his base, the answering throb making her grin faintly. "Olivia." He breathed softly, the agony in his voice making her look up at him with concern. He bent his head to hers once she looked up at him, capturing her lips with his own softly before he withdrew briefly, kneeling between her legs.

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><p>Olivia's blue eyes darkened slightly as he knelt between her legs once again, and she shifted slightly with need. Cullen returned her earlier ministrations, mimicking the way she had run her hands along his arms and torso before he reached her waist, where he paused for a moment. With a gentle touch that had Olivia's head spinning, Cullen drew the finery from her hips, easing the fabric down her legs before tossing it aside to join his pauldrons, cloak, and boots on the floor. He also carefully kicked his pants and shorts off, drawing a trembling giggle from her as he did, which she was rewarded for with a careful smile.<p>

She held her breath slightly as Cullen's eyes raked down her newly naked form, feeling another thrum of desire ebb between her legs as his eyes lingered on the splay of her hips for a moment longer before they drew downward. Olivia heard Cullen's sharp intake of breath as his amber eyes settled on her femininity, taking in the carefully groomed appearance. She kept the skin smooth and hairless, more for her own comfort than appearances, and Cullen hummed softly in appreciation as his thumbs grazed the triangular patch of skin above her core. She heard him swallow slightly before he slowly dragged his fingers downward, his gentleness causing Olivia to tilt her head back slightly.

When Cullen's fingers finally made contact with the soft, velvety folds that marked the entrance to her core, Olivia mewled softly with need, and she heard Cullen's soft utterings of "Maker..." as he realised that she was already slick with arousal. Spurred on by the sound she had made, Olivia felt Cullen gently part her before sliding a single finger into her smouldering depths. Both of them emitted quiet groans at the sensation, and Olivia felt herself arching involuntarily into Cullen's touch.

After a few, painstakingly arousing strokes of his finger, he added a second, drawing another mewling sound from Olivia's throat as he found the soft, fleshy node just a few inches deep. When Cullen pressed one of his fingers against it softly as he stroked her with the other, Olivia bit back another groan, instead arching her back higher as her channel clenched slightly on his fingers. "Please...Cullen..." She breathed, her pale cheeks stained red and her chest heaving slightly as her heart hammered beneath her ribcage.

Cullen withdrew his fingers almost instantly when he heard Olivia's heady plea, and gently pushed her thighs apart with his knees as he poised himself at the entrance to her womanhood, his hands gently holding her hips. Olivia impatiently pushed up against him, eliciting a soft laugh from Cullen before she felt him drive into her with a gentle thrust. Olivia whimpered softly as he began to fill her, the initial entrance causing her some degree of discomfort.

Though she had not admitted this before, Cullen would be the first one to take her, even despite her having previous lovers. She had fooled around with her other boyfriends, but none of them had ever gotten as serious as her relationship with Cullen.

Given the look of surprise that suddenly registered on Cullen's face, Olivia guessed that he had discovered her innocence when he was met with a wall of resistance, and his movements stilled for a moment. His gaze turned concerned, but Olivia reassured him with another soft, "Please..." He bit his lip as he withdrew slightly in order to gain a little bit of leverage, and he thrust once more, breaking through her virginity in one swift movement, stilling once he'd driven himself in to the hilt, quelling the soft groan building in his throat from the sensation of her wrapped around his throbbing member.

Olivia, who had been prepared for a little bit of pain, hissed out a sharp breath as the sting of him severing her hymen hit her. It hurt like all hell, and she felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes slightly, though she kept them at bay as she let her body adjust to the foreign sensations. Cullen, sensing her distress, leaned down to press his forehead to hers, murmuring a soft apology. He kept himself still within her depths until she had adjusted to him fully, and when she did, he kept his thrusts gentle, withdrawing until he nearly unsheathed himself before pushing back into her completely.

Olivia groaned softly, the pain in her expression becoming quickly replaced with pure pleasure, and she gripped at Cullen's forearms as he moved within her. "Cullen..." She panted softly, arching her hips as his length pressed against a particularly delicious spot within her, her nails digging into his skin slightly. With each thrust, her muscles contracted and relaxed around him, and every time she squeezed him, a rumbling groan left Cullen's throat. Eventually, he bent his head to press his lips against her shoulder, picking up speed slightly.

Olivia found herself repeating a mantra of words in a breathy, desperate whisper that she had never known she possessed, and she begged him for more as she lost herself further and further to the fire that was spreading rapidly from her core into the rest of her nerves. Her skin was overly sensitive, and when Cullen bent his head further to draw one of her nipples into his mouth as he took her, she cried out softly, her hands immediately tangling in his hair as a reflex.

Olivia heard Cullen groan against her skin as her nails raked over the back of his neck, and his body jerked in response to her touch, drawing a surprised gasp of pleasure from the mouth of the mage. "F-fuck." She hissed, making him laugh softly before he drove into her again, the broad head of his cock pressing into the back wall of her sheath. The carnal groan that Cullen emitted as her inner walls clenched down on him caused a heavy pressure build up to begin in Olivia's abdomen, and she whimpered with need as it grew rapidly with each thrust.

Cullen was surprisingly gentle with her even as he staked his claim on her, marking her as his and his alone, and Olivia realised then, in the heat of the moment, that there was no one in the entirety of Thedas that she wanted to be with in the manner she wanted Cullen. Leaning herself up slightly, she bit down on Cullen's left shoulder quite hard, sucking the skin softly as his body reacted to the bite.

Entirely too soon, Olivia felt the coil that had been winding tighter and tighter in her abdomen threaten to snap, and she groaned in both pleasure and annoyance, not wanting the immense pleasure to end. Her moans and whimpers became closer together and more desperate sounding as she attempted to cling to her control for as long as she could, the clenching of her channel driving both of them to their breaking point rather quickly.

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><p>It took only a few more thrusts to send her tumbling off the edge, and she shattered beneath him with a desperate cry of his name, her inner muscles spasming and clamping down on him quite hard. As she rode out her orgasm, she raked her nails across Cullen's back quite hard, no doubt breaking skin as she pulled her hands down his back. As Olivia panted incoherently and clawed at his back, Cullen drove himself into her twice more before he followed her off the cliff, jerking her hips upwards slightly as he poured himself into her, tilting his head back with a roar of release.<p>

Slick with a combination of their seed and sweat, Olivia laughed breathlessly as Cullen's arms gave way and brought him crashing into her, his entire body trembling with the stress of their exertions. "Maker, Liv..." She heard him breathe as she gently stroked her fingers over the muscles of his back, kissing his shoulder softly in apology when he hissed in pain.

Pulling her hands from his back after a moment, she noticed they were covered in blood, and she bit down on her lip, Cullen gently making her release it a moment later as he captured her mouth with his own, murmuring softly, "I love you." It was the first time he'd said the words so completely, and Olivia felt her heart squeeze painfully as she returned the sentiment. "I love you, too..."

Her admission was rewarded with a smile before Cullen eased himself back up onto his hands, withdrawing from inside her. They both winced a little as their bodies came apart, and Olivia felt a pleasant but painful throb between her legs. She knew she would be sore for some time yet, and Cullen frowned slightly at the sight of her blood mixed with a combination of their fluids. Olivia tried to reassure him with a smile, which he returned, before he rose from his knees, standing at the edge of the bed for a brief moment as he regained feeling in his legs.

"Stay here." he spoke softly once he was sure he could walk without falling over, padding into the washroom for a brief moment before returning with a warm, damp cloth and a poultice. He gently cleaned the blood from between her legs, Olivia protesting weakly before he silenced her with a look.

Once Cullen was satisfied, he handed her the poultice, which Olivia took gladly before pulling him back down to her, her muscles relaxing almost instantly once the poultice began to work it's magic. She also felt a wave of drowsiness hit her as the euphoria of their exertions also began to ebb away, and she grumbled softly as she pulled a sheet over the two of them, not bothering to redress. "Stay with me..." She murmured sleepily, curling up beneath the covers. A smile spread across her lips as Cullen shifted so that she could lay within his embrace, and she felt his lips press against her ear softly as she drifted off, accompanied by a single word.

"Always."

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><p><em><strong>AN: **__I hope you all enjoyed Cullen and Olivia's first intimate encounter! I know, I know, they kind of dove straight into the steamy bits without much build-up, but they've been trying to deny themselves for so long that they kind of just said "Screw it." and went with it._

_Please favourite, follow, and review if you haven't already!_

_As always, I'll see you all in the next chapter!_


	20. No Place Like Home

_**A/N:** Thanks so much to **DARK-EVIL-GODS21** for making laugh unbelievably hard when I woke up this morning and read the review he left for me, as well as to everyone else who left a review for me. I really and truly do appreciate your feedback; it lets me know what aspects of the story to lessen, heighten, cut, or add. Thank you all for sticking with me, even when you got/get frustrated with the plot :)_

_This story wouldn't exist without **you.** Let's get back into it, shall we?_

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><p>When Olivia woke the following morning, she was aware of two things almost instantly: one, she was unbelievably sore; two, she was incredibly warm. The first situation was something she had expected, so she wasn't entirely uncomfortable with her sore muscles and aching joints. It meant that she'd be taking one hell of a warm bath once she managed to pull herself out of bed. The second situation was something she was pleasantly surprised by.<p>

Pressed against her back protectively with an arm slung over her waist gently as he hugged her to him, was Cullen, sleeping like he was dead to the entire world. Olivia stifled a soft giggle as she settled herself back against him, and she felt him unconsciously lean his head forward to nuzzle against her shoulder as he mumbled something incoherent. Olivia knew how hard it was for Cullen to sleep thanks to the nightmares that often plagued him, and she wasn't about to interrupt the first good night's sleep he'd had in Maker only knew how long.

She lay her head back down against her pillow lightly so as not to disturb him with her movements, and thought back to the happenings of the night before with a satisfied smile and a faint blush creeping into her cheeks. It had been the most amazing experience of her entire life, and she didn't regret a second of it, as most of her female friends had admitted to when they'd spoken to her of the nature of her relationships over the course of the last six or so years.

Olivia had known a little of what to expect from what she'd been told by her friends growing up, but nothing they said to her had prepared her for how life-changing the experience was for her. They had warned her that the first time would be painful, and the ache between her thighs was a pleasant reminder of what had occurred. Her friends had also told her to relax when she felt the pressure build up threatening her, and her blush darkened as she recalled the way she'd shattered beneath Cullen's touch. What her friends hadn't told her was that it would feel like coming home.

Olivia had felt for a time that there was something missing, some small piece of her that wasn't whole; almost like a lock waiting for a key to fill the empty void. Having Cullen stake his claim on her so completely last night had filled that void for her, and Olivia now knew that he was the only thing in Thedas that she would fight to the death for.

That thought wiped the lovestruck smile from her face with it's enormity, and Olivia swallowed hard as she mulled it over for a moment. Millions of people depended on her to protect and save them, even from themselves, but if the choice ever came down to the citizens of Thedas or Cullen, Olivia knew that she would not hesitate in choosing Cullen, regardless of the consequences that would follow such a decision. Olivia blew out a soft but shaky sigh as the epiphany raced through her brain; it was hard to believe that **one** man had changed her entire outlook, her goals and desires.

Olivia wasn't naïve enough to know that if Cullen ever found out that she would hold his safety higher than anyone else in the world's, he'd vehemently demand that she reconsider her stance, and it was this thought that gave her the most pause. She wanted no secrets between the two of them, but she also knew that she couldn't tell him that he mattered more to her than the entirety of Thedas did. That position wouldn't be popular amongst her advisors, and Olivia was not prepared to deal with more fighting, especially not over something she couldn't control.

A loud rapping sound on the door shook Olivia from her thoughts rather abruptly, and she gingerly disentangled herself from Cullen's iron grip before rising, cursing lowly as her muscles protested. Gritting her teeth through the pain, Olivia pulled on her standard keep attire of breeches and a bell-sleeved shirt that bared her midriff over the top of her small clothes, not bothering with her boots since she didn't want to wake Cullen just yet.

Throwing a glance over her shoulder at the sleeping form of her beloved, Olivia smiled again before she padded silently over to the door, pulling her fingers through her raven hair in an effort to make her after-sex hair look more like normally did in the morning. Satisfied, Olivia opened the door a crack as she plastered an annoyed look on her face. "What?" She snapped quietly, her brilliant blue eyes meeting the brown ones of a nervous looking recruit.

"A-apologies, my lady Inquisitor. Seeker Pentaghast was wondering if you knew anything of Commander Cullen's whereabouts; he never showed up for training this morning." The young man at her door stammered, fidgeting with his hands as he studied the stone floor of the corridor leading to Olivia's quarters. Clearly, the young man was absolutely petrified at facing Olivia so early in the morning, no doubt knowing exactly how terrifying she could be if provoked by the wrong person, and it was this that softened the hard gaze of the Inquisitor.

"No harm done, Bennings. Please let the Seeker know that both the Commander and myself will be down in the War Room shortly, and that the next time she seeks him out to check with me **before** terrifying the recruits." The humour in her voice had the recruit looking up at her in surprise. Instead of a wrathful expression, he was met with an amused smile. "O-of course, my lady. Right away." He saluted and raced off, leaving Olivia to laugh softly as she closed the door.

"Poor sod." she mumbled as she turned from the entrance to her quarters, walking quietly back to Cullen. To her surprise, he was sitting up in bed with a slightly panicked look on his handsome face, though the expression quickly turned to a wry grin and a flush when his eyes met her form coming up the stairs. "There you are." He breathed softly, and Olivia made her way to him easily, hearing the relief in his words.

When she reached him, he gently pulled her into him, wrapping his arms warmly around her as he rested his head against her stomach. Olivia's heart broke all over again as she felt the tension and fear ebb from him as he held her, and she smiled gently as she threaded her fingers through his golden hair. "Afraid I'd left you alone?" She asked quietly, and Cullen nodded meekly against her skin, saying nothing for the time. "Silly." She admonished, gently lifting his head to look at her.

"I would never leave you willingly. Anyone willing to separate us would have to drag my ass, kicking, screaming, and haphazardly flinging spells to get me away from you." She murmured softly, leaning down to kiss him softly. Olivia was rewarded with a rumbling chuckle and a smile as Cullen returned her kiss before allowing her to straighten again, simply holding her as he sighed into her skin. "I know. I panicked." he whispered softly, and Olivia pushed her hands through his hair again. "I know, love. It's alright. I wouldn't have left you had Cass not sent a recruit up here to ask if I knew where you were."

At her statement, Cullen groaned and shook his head as he hugged her tighter. "Maker, I missed morning training, didn't I." It wasn't a question, and the fact that he didn't even sound remotely guilty for sleeping in with her made Olivia laugh warmly. "You did indeed, but you have my pardon. If Cassandra decides to chew you out, she'll have to go through me first." She replied, earning a warm laugh from Cullen in response. "I'm sure she'll love that." He quipped, and Olivia grinned before she sighed softly.

"As much as I want to stay here, I told the poor sod Cass sent up here to tell her we'd be in the War Room shortly." Olivia words were heavy with displeasure, and Cullen laughed again as he released her from his grasp. He rose easily, though he did wince slightly, before dressing in his standard leather pants and linen shirt, forgoing his pauldrons and his lion's mane cloak for the time being. After a moment's pause, Cullen shucked his clothing and dragged Olivia into the washroom with a warm chuckle, both of them taking little time to freshen up after the events of the previous night.

Once they had dried and redressed, the two of them sat side by side on the edge of her bed as they strapped on their boots, sharing warm glances and quiet words about how wonderful the previous night had been for both of them. Olivia laughed again as Cullen blushed, apologising for the millionth time for hurting her, and she brushed it off just as easily as she had the night before, silencing him with an "I liked it."

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><p>No more than twenty minutes later, Olivia arrived in the War Room hand-in-hand with Cullen, a gesture that had earned several reproachful glares from the nobles in the main hall as well as whistles from Varric and Dorian that were accompanied by laughter and usual torment. Olivia, as usual, tossed them <em>the look<em>, making them laugh harder as she and Cullen ducked into the corridor leading to their strategic hub.

When the two of them entered the room together, Cullen's arm now wrapped around Olivia's shoulders warmly, they were greeted by a very amused Leliana and a gleefully happy Josephine. One look at their faces told Olivia that they had heard everything from the night before, and she had the grace to flush beautifully as Cullen coughed uncomfortably. This was enough to send both the spy-master and the ambassador into a fit of giggles that caused Olivia to roll her eyes while grinning like a Cheshire cat as Cullen stepped behind her, wrapping his arms around her securely.

"How mad is Cassandra?" Olivia asked, leaning into Cullen's embrace as the two ladies before her managed to bring their mirth under control. Leliana, still giggling slightly, responded first as Josephine collected herself. "She was a little irate when she learned that she would have to take charge of the morning training thanks to our commander being...indisposed. Other than that, however, I think she's rather amused."

Cullen groaned softly, burying his face into Olivia's shoulders from his new position behind her. "Maker help me." he mumbled, making Olivia laugh in response as she gently rubbed his arm to reassure him. As she did, Cassandra breezed into the War Room, a thunderous look on her face that had Leliana quirking an eyebrow and Josephine shifting uncomfortably.

Olivia bit her lip against a grin at the sour look Cassandra threw them before the Seeker's shoulders slumped and she pressed a hand to her forehead. "For the love of Andraste, **tell me** before you decide to sleep through training, Cullen. At least that way, I can prepare myself to the amount of idiocy in the greens." At her words, Olivia lost her composure, erupting into a fit of giggles that caused Leliana to start laughing again.

A rough sigh was forced from Cassandra's throat, and Olivia was forced to turn around and bury her face in Cullen's shoulder as she shook with mirth, an amused smile edging onto the commander's face. "I would apologise, Lady Cassandra, but that would make me a liar. I'm not sorry at all." At his admission Olivia laughed even harder, as did Leliana, who had to lean on the war table to steady herself. Even Josephine couldn't bite back a giggle, and Cassandra sighed again as she shook her head.

"If it makes you feel better, Cass, I'm not sorry either." Olivia finally managed to choke out between her giggles, and her admission finally cracked the seeker. Cassandra laughed heartily as she gently clapped Cullen on the back. "It's alright. I'm genuinely happy for the two of you. Just not about dealing with raw recruits. I can deal, however, if it means that the Commander gets a little peace of mind every once in a while."Olivia managed to compose herself a short moment later, and she turned back to face her advisors and the table save for Cullen, who remained behind her with his arms around her.

The rest of the meeting went smoothly as Olivia and Cullen made strategic decisions on where to delegate the soldiers and scouts, electing to send a couple of reconnaissance teams with a few of their soldiers to both Emprise du Lion and the Emerald Graves in order to assess the situations in both areas more efficiently before Olivia decided where to head first. Another area of the map that interested Olivia was in the Hissing Wastes, and she decided to send a team of Leliana's agents to gather more information on the Venatori activity in the region.

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><p>Satisfied with the meeting's progresses, she excused both herself and Cullen, grinning as she grabbed his hand and headed out to the courtyard with him. The two of them walked hand-in-hand again, talking quietly between themselves as they made their way down the stairs to the sparring ring Olivia had elected to build when they had been honing Cullen's templar skills.<p>

As they approached, several of their soldiers called out greetings to them, which the couple happily returned, and several more congratulated them on **finally** being open about their relationship. Olivia laughed softly as she spoke with the soldiers and recruits, offering advice when they asked her for it as well as answering questions they had. Both of them effortlessly deflected questions about their relationship, and eventually the soldiers got the hint to stop asking about it.

As they spoke to the soldiers, Iron Bull and Blackwall came over to join in the conversations, and soon Olivia found herself surrounded by several more of her companions as well as curious Inquisition members as they listened to stories of Olivia's exploits, told in great exaggeration by Bull and Varric, with no small amount of help from Dorian and Sera.

The soldiers themselves roared with laughter at the stories of Olivia whining about the Western Approach's weather, and they looked at her with appreciation as they were told of how many times she had willingly thrown herself, a mage, into the line of fire for her companions, electing to get herself injured rather than risk them getting hurt. It wasn't often that a mage elected to take big hits for a warrior or a rogue, and it was clear that Olivia's forces had heightened respect for her after the reveal of that particular trait of hers.

After roughly an hour or two of storytelling, Olivia and Cullen agreed to a demonstration of defense against magical attacks for a non-templar after several of their recruits asked in curiosity how it would work. Cullen had trained as a warrior long before becoming a Templar, and as their commander he was the best equipped to show them how to deflect and disable a mage without the aid of Templar abilities.

As the soldiers began to surround the sparring ring and take bets on how many spells their commander wouldn't deflect, Olivia took up her position on one side of the ring facing down the man that meant the world to her, having elected not to use a staff since she wouldn't be drawing on the deepest threads of her magic.

At Cullen's mark, she began to toss spells in his direction slowly so that he could explain to the recruits what he was doing while he was doing it. After a time, he instructed her to heighten the pace of her attacks, and she obliged, flinging spells at a much quicker pace. Each one was deflected harmlessly into the ground, and Cullen grinned wryly at her before he asked her to use more powerful spells without calling on her most potent. Happily, she began calling on stronger thrums of magic within her blood, firing off several spells she was sure that her soldiers had never seen cast by any Circle mage or apostate.

After an hour of sparring, Cullen instructed her to stop casting, and she did, the spell she had been summoning dissipating at her fingertips with no effort on her part at all. Several of the recruits groaned as they lost money while several more cheered about their gains, and Olivia was struck with a thought that had her smiling as she made her way to Cullen, leaning into him for a gentle kiss in front of all of their soldiers, ignoring the whistles and cat-calls.

_There's no place I'd rather be than here._

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><p><em><strong>AN: **And that's that! Hopefully you enjoyed this fluffy little filler chapter! I know I enjoyed writing it :)_

_As always, please favourite, follow, and **review!** I'm always happy to hear from my readers :) I'm also still looking for cover art for this fic, so **please** surprise me with something! _

_See you all in the next chapter!_


	21. Worth Fighting For

_**A/N:** Thanks heaps for the lovely reviews, guys and dolls! I always saw the Inquisition as one big family, so I'm pleased you all picked up on that pretty quickly :) Once again, huge thanks to **DARK-EVIL-GODS21 **and **Hell's Pixie**(my beta): this story wouldn't be what it is without you guys spurring me on :3_

_Let's jump back into it!_

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><p>As much as Olivia would have liked to stay in Skyhold for the rest of eternity without worrying about any of the goings on in Thedas, she knew she had to get back out and seal the rifts that were threatening to cause irreparable damage. Millions of people were counting on her to counter the imbalance, and despite being overwhelmed with the enormity of her task, Olivia was determined to see it through.<p>

After her and Cullen's sparring match in the courtyard, the two of them had talked at great lengths about where Olivia should travel to next. Olivia thought that the Emerald Graves would be a good place to get a few more answers whereas Cullen argued that Emprise du Lion or even the Hissing Wastes would be a better choice to counteract increasing levels of Venatori activity. However, the decision was made for Olivia several days later; a missive from someone named Fairbanks in the Emerald Graves arrived on the war table, prompting her to head out earlier than she would have liked.

Sighing softly, Olivia had walked out of the war room to gather the group of companions she would take with her on her journey, electing to bring Dorian, Solas, Varric, and Cassandra with her. Bull was still nursing some wounds from their dragon encounter in the Western Approach, Sera was hungover, and Dorian and Varric both insisted on coming with her in case she decided to do "anything else remotely reckless". Rolling her eyes, she'd informed each of her companions to prepare to leave at sunrise the following day; once she'd gotten their assent, she'd turned and headed for the stables to prepare her mount for the long journey to the former Dalish homeland.

As she'd groomed the spirited grey stallion that she had befriended upon their arrival to Skyhold the year before, she had lost herself in a random tirade of thoughts; thoughts of Cullen, memories of Max, possible outcomes for her own future once the mess with Corypheus was dealt with. She had shaken her head slightly before returning her focus to replacing her horse's shoes, not wanting him to crack his hooves while they were travelling. Once she was satisfied, she patted him down firmly before relinquishing a few apple slices to him, laughing when Dennett called her out on it before chasing her out of the stables with a grin of his own.

Olivia hadn't been sure what possessed her to go up to Cullen's office once she was done with her tasks for the day, but she found herself leaning against the wall as he delegated duties to his officers. She grinned wryly when he faltered as he caught sight of her, and several of the lieutenants chuckled knowingly after he dismissed them, greeting her warmly as they left. Once the last officer had left the room, Cullen had surprised her by shutting the door brusquely before he'd dragged her against him, tangling his hands in her hair as his lips descended onto hers.

The two of them had shared a night of learning and exploring each other in Cullen's bedroom, losing themselves amongst hesitant touches and heady kisses. Olivia had lost count of how many times Cullen brought her to an earth-shattering orgasm, but she kept a perfect tally of how many times she had returned the favour to him. After they were fully spent, they lay side-by-side in silence for a time, Cullen's hands gently skimming up and down Olivia's arms. She knew he was worried about her leaving; they always worried when they were separated from one another, and she gently placed what she hoped was a reassuring kiss over his heart before falling asleep with him.

Olivia had woken before Cullen the next morning, and with a sorrowful kiss, she left him to journey with her companions to meet with Fairbanks in the Graves. Her companions said nothing of her unusual silence for the first leg of the journey; they knew that being away from Cullen was painful for her, and thankfully Dorian and Varric did not tease her about it. How she was supposed to bring down a would-be god while suffering from separation anxiety was beyond even her.

However, Olivia livened up as they journeyed further into Orlais, eventually poking fun at Dorian when she learned that he'd gone and slept with Bull, just for fun. He'd quipped back about her and Cullen, and the two had shared a good bout of banter before Varric reminded them that he could easily add all of the sordid details of their relationships into his book. They both had shot him a glare that had Cassandra and Solas laughing before a comfortable silence fell over the group.

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><p>It had been three days since they'd set out from Skyhold, and Olivia was sore from all the jumping they'd had to do on their mounts. The terrain was unforgivable, but she knew that was part of the reason that the Dalish elves had preferred this area; it prevented them from being followed by anyone who didn't want to risk losing a limb or their supplies on the rough ground.<p>

Whistling lowly, she brought the group to a halt as she heard a sound she knew all too well. Throwing herself off her mount with a surprisingly graceful flourish, she flipped to her feet in a crouched stance, an arrow whizzing over the top of her stallion's back, right where she had been seated moments before. Hissing out a curse, the rest of her group followed suit as Olivia shot off a few spells in the direction the arrow had travelled from, smirking when she heard a few muffled curses as a group of rogue militia men attempted to put out the fireball she'd shot at them.

Cassandra and Varric made short work of the group once they'd stumbled out of the brush where they'd been hiding, and Olivia shook her head in disgust as she helped Solas and Dorian search for valuable items that may have been stolen from the nearby camp. When she was satisfied they had found everything, she swung back up onto her mount, heading for the area Leliana had marked on her map.

As they approached the ravine, they were greeted by several soldiers with arrows notched and drawn, though they lowered their weapons almost immediately when they noticed the symbols emblazoned on the horses' blankets. Olivia grinned wryly as they were escorted to Fairbanks, and she greeted the man warmly as she hopped down from her horse's back.

Fairbanks was a battle-hardened man who was rightfully wary of Olivia before she introduced herself. Once she did, he relaxed slightly, though not enough to be caught off-guard, and he wasted no time in outlining his concerns regarding a mine not too far from their current location, as well as noting several Red Templar camps and their generals within the area. He also informed them of a base not too far to the north that he'd had his eyes on until the Red Templars had taken over it, slaughtering the militia men that had formerly held it.

He also gave Olivia a tour of the makeshift village that had been erected within some outcropping of rock, and several of the villagers approached her cautiously to ask for her aid in some of their tasks. Each one told her that it wasn't urgent and that she didn't have to help if she didn't have time, but Olivia brushed each one of those remarks off, plainly stating that she would take care of it for nothing.

Armed with a plethora of tasks as well as replenished supplies, Olivia swung back up onto her horse before turning to head toward the mine, eager to rout the templars within it's depths as well as rescue the few missing villagers that Fairbanks had mentioned while they were talking. Cassandra had murmured her approval of Olivia taking on the villagers' tasks without wanting a reward, and the praise made her smile warmly at the Seeker. "Every problem that we solve will only strengthen the Inquisition's backing. I can't sit idly by or turn aside pleas for help; everything is urgent, no matter how small." Olivia told her quietly, earning yet another smile that quickly turned to alarm as they came upon an ambush at the mouth of the mine.

Several small battles later, Olivia had managed to get the group into the mine where they came face to face with a Templar Lieutenant under the influence of red lyrium who was armed with several cronies. Olivia wasted no time in debilitating the lieutenant's reinforcements, locking them within a mass paralysis rune she'd traced on the ground while the lieutenant had been mouthing off to them. Once they were locked, she allowed Solas and Varric to pepper the group with volleys of arrows and lightning, turning her attention to where Cassandra was grappling with the female Red Templar.

Throwing up a barrier to protect Cassandra from the flurry of blows the lieutenant was raining on her shield, Olivia called on the depths of her power as she usually did, only to find herself very suddenly and violently devoid of her mana and her power. Cassandra cried out in alarm as Olivia stumbled to her knees, weakened by the power of both the lieutenant's dispel and one of the templar-knight's Holy Smites. She had been so focused on keeping Cassandra alive that she hadn't noticed one of the knight's break free of her paralysis rune.

Being bereft of mana and power left Olivia feeling violently ill, and she held a hand over her mouth as her stomach threatened to empty what little contents it had. Dorian was also struggling with his own mana loss, and Solas managed to feed a weak regeneration spell into both mages to get them back on their feet. Shakily rising to her feet, Olivia popped the cork on a lyrium flask, downing it quickly before tossing one to Dorian, feeling the sudden surge of magic through her blood, giving her the strength she needed to finish the fight. Angrily, she shot icy chains at both the knight and the lieutenant, preventing them from defending themselves as Cassandra and Dorian took a killing blow each, rage radiating from each of them.

"Are you alright, Snow?" Varric called to her, concern lacing his words as Olivia trembled with rage as well as mixture of adrenaline and lyrium. "Yeah, I'm alright. Just pissed off. I haven't been hit by a smite since I was an apprentice. That bitch's dispel caught me off guard as well, and when the smite hit..." She shook her head with an angry growl. "Dammit!" She pushed her hands through her hair, sighing in frustration. "Sorry, guys." She mumbled after a moment, realising that her companions had gone quiet. "It's quite alright, my dear." Dorian spoke up after a moment, affectionately ruffling Olivia's hair lightly. "You aren't the only one who got caught off guard. We'll both just have to be a bit more vigilant from now on, hmm?"

Offering him a smile, Olivia nodded before moving to undo the locks to the cages where the villagers were, undoing them deftly amid pleas of "Maker, get us out of here!" Once they were all free, Olivia stepped back to allow them to leave, smiling faintly at each person who paused long enough to thank her before they ran off.

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><p>From the mine, Olivia turned the group toward the Red Templar camps, rekindled anger augmenting each and every spell she threw at them. She hated them for what they had done to people's view of the Templar Order, and she hated them for forgoing their vows. None of her companions mentioned her renewed vigour, a fact Olivia was thankful for as she wasn't sure she'd be able to explain why she was so pissed off in a way that would make sense to anyone.<p>

When they had cleared all the smaller camps of Red Templars, Olivia decided to head for some more of the rifts, closing each one as easily as she had closed the others that came before them. Each group of demons the rifts spat at the group were easier than they had been before, a testament to just how much progress they all had made in the year since the Breach had first opened.

As they travelled, Olivia searched out more occularum shards as well, keeping the shards in a pocket of her pack for a later use. They also stumbled across an ancient elven ruin among the throng of trees, though the entrance was littered with the bodies of the Dalish group that had been heading for the ruins when she'd met them in the Exalted Plains. With a heavy heart, she knelt and offered a prayer to Falon'din for the fallen before she pushed into the ruins, intent on reaping vengeance on the Red Templars who were responsible.

Once they had cleared the ruin, they gathered the maps and artifacts the Dalish had been seeking out. The findings sparked an argument among Cassandra and Solas as to who should receive the information; the Dalish or the Chantry, and Olivia was forced to intervene. She decided that the information would be returned to the Dalish elves, as it was rightfully theirs, and the matter was settled with begrudged agreement from Cassandra.

Olivia also completed the more menial of their tasks for the villagers and occasionally stopped the group so she could cut herbs for their alchemists and their healers, much to their amusement. Eventually, Cassandra managed to get Olivia to stop cutting every single herb she came across, and the group pressed forward toward the camp that Fairbanks had his eyes on.

The five of them pushed through the primary defenses of the camp easily enough, and Olivia noticed with a pang that the templars had slaughtered several innocent people, children among them. It boiled her blood, and she fought even harder to eradicate their presence in the Graves. When they were faced with a Templar-Captain within a very small space, Olivia noticed they began to struggle slightly, be it from disadvantage or fatigue, she couldn't say. Varric was sporting a few new cuts, Cassandra was struggling to hold her shield correctly thanks to a rather painful hit she'd taken early in the fight, and Dorian and Solas were getting cornered by the continuous flurry of attacks.

Gritting her teeth, Olivia erected a powerful barrier around herself that would hopefully draw the Captain's ire, and when he turned to face her with a sickening grin stretching across his face, she knew she had him. Mirroring his sinister smile with one of her own, she waited for him to rush her, having already formulated a plan in her mind. When he did, she quickly side-stepped him, whirling her staff across the back of his knees to knock his feet from under him.

With a crash, the Captain fell, and Olivia called up a powerful binding spell, effectively locking the Templar-Captain in a paralysis that wouldn't break, no matter how hard he tried to dispel it. When she was satisfied with the strength of the paralysis, she drew him up to stand against the back wall of the barracks. Stepping up to him as she strapped her staff to her back, she narrowed her eyes. "Start talking. **Now.**" To her companions' amazement, the man began rapidly spewing information, almost as if Olivia was pushing it from him each time her eyes narrowed.

When she was satisfied with the amount of intel she had garnered from him, she turned to walk away from the Templar-Captain, her companions following curiously. As she reached the doorway of the barracks they had been scrapping in, she turned to face the captain. With a flick of her wrist, she summoned a barb of ice that she flung straight at the captain's heart after dispelling the binding spell, piercing it instantly as his eyes widened in surprise. "Thank you for your cooperation." She quipped coldly before she exited the building, leaving the captain to bleed out behind her.

"Jeez Snow, that was brutal. Even for you." Varric spoke quietly, and Olivia turned to look at him. "I will not spare any Red Templar. Not a single sodding one. None of them deserve to live after what they have cost the people of Thedas. Them and the blasted Venatori." She replied, glancing down at her companion with a rueful sigh. "True enough. Just don't lose yourself along the way, kid." Varric admonished, falling silent when Olivia looked back ahead of her, opting not to respond to his statement.

She was still quiet as they made their way back to Fairbanks, sealing smaller rifts on their journey back toward the makeshift base of operations, though she knew Varric was right. Once she had informed the former nobleman of the status of the camp they had cleared, she turned the group back toward Skyhold, not wanting to spend another second in the Graves, especially not after the horrors she'd witnessed there. Sighing softly, she looked behind her at her companions, all of whom were looked just as worn and exhausted as she felt. Olivia instantly felt guilty for pushing them so hard, and she slowed her pace to allow them to relax a little bit.

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><p>Two weeks later, Olivia and her companions found themselves back in Skyhold eager for real beds and proper baths, the latter of which Olivia immediately went for, heating the water for the tub in her room herself. She wanted to wash the blood of both the innocent and the guilty from her skin, and she spent the better part of an hour with a pumice stone against her sensitive flesh, scrubbing at the filth until her skin was pink and raw from the assault.<p>

Stepping from the tub, Olivia dried herself carefully with a fluffy towel before pulling on her breeches and standard white shirt combo, forgoing her boots as she stepped out onto her balcony. Leaning against the stone railing, she sighed softly, the usual cool mountain breeze blowing her raven hair around her face. "Maker guide me..." She murmured as she pushed her hands through her hair, supporting her weight on her elbows.

"Those poor children...and the Dalish. All they wanted was to get their lost history back. Both groups, caught in the crossfire of a war no sane person wants." she spat angrily, dropping her head as her hands linked at the back of her neck for a brief moment before she brought them back down to the railing. An exasperated sigh pushed from her lips, and she felt her anger slowly ebb away as she turned her marked palm over, staring at the lines etched into her skin before she clenched her hand into a fist, looking out over Skyhold.

So caught up in her thoughts was she that she hadn't heard the sound of footsteps behind her, and she started quite violently as a pair of warm, strong arms came up to wrap around her waist lightly. Relaxing when she realised it was just Cullen, she leaned back into his embrace, remaining silent for the moment. "Cassandra and Dorian told me what happened in the Graves." she heard him murmur softly as he pressed his lips to her shoulder. Olivia sighed softly, looking down at her hands again. "I hate this, Cullen. So much unnecessary slaughtering of innocent people." She shook her head, another sigh leaving her lips.

"I know. And to top it off, every single one of those innocents is depending on you to restore peace." He added, making Olivia groan. "Yes, thank you for reminding me." She quipped dryly, earning a soft, rumbling chuckle from Cullen. "I will admit, the smiles on their faces and the ease in their step makes all of this worth it." She added after a moment as she gestured to where their soldiers worked and gathered, making Cullen smile against her skin as he held her tighter. "It won't always be rough going. Once Corypheus is dead and order is restored to Thedas, things will be much easier to deal with."

Olivia smiled as the two of them stood together, absorbing the view from her balcony. "**That** definitely is something worth fighting for."

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><p><em><strong>AN: **Another chapter down! Hopefully you guys enjoyed this one! I know the combat is dry, but like I've said in previous notes, I don't want to waste too much time describing the fights, since you've all played through them yourselves. :)_

_As always, please favourite, follow, and review! Your feedback is appreciated!_

_See you in the next chapter!_


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